Trump wants $152 million to rebuild and reopen Alcatraz as a secure prison
CNN • • nation
Key Points:
- President Donald Trump has requested $152 million in the White House budget proposal to cover the first year of costs for reopening Alcatraz prison as a secure federal facility.
- The funding is part of a broader $1.7 billion increase proposed for the Federal Bureau of Prisons aimed at improving pay and working conditions to address a correctional officer shortage.
- Alcatraz, closed over 60 years ago due to high maintenance costs and deteriorating infrastructure, currently serves as a historic landmark attracting about 1.2 million tourists annually.
- The Bureau of Prisons is actively evaluating and planning the necessary steps to restore and operate Alcatraz, aligning with President Trump’s directive to transform it into a symbol of law and order for housing violent offenders.
- Historically, Alcatraz housed notorious criminals like Al Capone and James “Whitey” Bulger but was shut down in 1963 because it was too costly to maintain and operate.
