Alcatraz will be reopened to house the “most ruthless and violent criminals,” President Trump announced on Sunday.
In a post on Truth Social, the President said he was instructing the Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice, FBI and Department of Homeland Security to reopen the notorious prison, which housed some of America’s most infamous criminals.
“REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ! For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering,” President Trump posted.
“When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets. That is why, today, I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders. We will no longer be held hostage to criminals, thugs, and Judges that are afraid to do their job and allow us to remove criminals, who came into our Country illegally. The reopening of ALCATRAZ will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE. We will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
Alcatraz served as a federal prison from 1934 to 1963, and housed inmates like the gangsters Al Capone and “Machine Gun Kelly.” Alcatraz Island is currently a national park.
According to the prison’s official government website, “Officials sought to create a new, unique prison for those deemed difficult to incarcerate elsewhere in the federal prison system. A remote site was sought, one that would prohibit constant communication with the outside world by those confined within its walls. Although land in Alaska was being considered, the availability of Alcatraz Island conveniently coincided with the government’s perceived need for a high security prison.”