Overview

• President Trump has directed federal agencies to explore reopening Alcatraz as a maximum-security prison for the nation's most dangerous offenders.
• The Bureau of Prisons, led by Director William K. Marshall III, has initiated a feasibility study to evaluate the island's potential for restoration and expanded use as a prison.
• Alcatraz, currently a National Historic Landmark managed by the National Park Service, generates $60 million annually as a tourism site and attracts over two million visitors each year.
• The prison was originally closed in 1963 due to exorbitant operating costs, logistical challenges, and deteriorating infrastructure, all of which remain significant obstacles to its reopening.
• No funding, construction timeline, or legal approvals have been secured yet, and concerns about historic preservation and economic impacts on tourism remain unresolved.