On Sunday, US President Donald Trump announced that he had instructed his administration to rebuild and expand Alcatraz, the notorious prison that has remained closed for over 60 years on a remote island in California.
“For too long, America has suffered under the threat of vicious, violent, repeat criminal offenders the dregs of society who bring nothing but misery and suffering,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social account Sunday night. “In the past, when America took crime seriously, we didn’t hesitate to lock up the most dangerous individuals and keep them far from the people they could harm. That’s how it should be again.”
He declared that reopening Alcatraz would stand as a symbol of law, order, and justice. “That’s why I’m directing the Bureau of Prisons, along with the Department of Justice, the FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen Alcatraz rebuilt and greatly expanded to hold America’s most ruthless and violent offenders,” he said.
What is Alcatraz?
Alcatraz is a small island that was formerly a federal maximum security jail, a military prison, and a fort. Early in the 20th century, Alcatraz was reconstructed as a military prison. According to the media reports, the US Department of Justice gained control of it in the 1930s and started accepting prisoners from the federal prison system. According to the US authorities, the Indians of All Tribes occupied Alcatraz for 19 months in 1969 in the interest of freedom and Native American civil rights.
Prison to Tourist Spot:
Now administered by the National Park Service, Alcatraz Island is a popular tourist destination. This is also a National Historic Landmark. Many of the buildings on the island that were essential to the prison’s administration are now in ruins. Even if the main cellhouse is the main attraction.
Why is it Dangerous?
Nicknamed “The Rock,” Alcatraz earned a reputation as one of the hardest prisons to escape due to the frigid Pacific waters and strong ocean currents surrounding it. The prison housed some of America’s most infamous criminals. Which includes gangster Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly.
FBI Report:
According to the FBI, 36 men tried to escape Alcatraz in 14 separate attempts during its 29 years of operation. Authorities caught most of them or stopped them before they could succeed. The 1979 film Escape from Alcatraz, starring Clint Eastwood, portrayed the daring escape of three inmates Frank Morris. The brothers John and Clarence Anglin whose fate remains a subject of controversy. Another film, the 1962 classic Birdman of Alcatraz, starred Burt Lancaster and told the story of Robert Stroud, a convicted murderer who became a respected ornithologist after developing a fascination with birds during his life sentence on the island. These films helped cement Alcatraz’s place in history and popular culture.
Why was it shut?
Due to deteriorating infrastructure and the exorbitant expenses of maintaining and equipping the island facility. Everything from food to gasoline had to be transported by boat. The prison was shut down in 1963. The Federal Bureau of Jail’s website states that the jail closed because it was too costly to keep running.
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