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4mo ago

Trump’s Alcatraz Revival Faces Skepticism Over Costs and Feasibility

President Trump’s directive to rebuild Alcatraz as a maximum-security prison has drawn bipartisan criticism and logistical concerns, while feasibility studies are underway.

Trump’s surprise call to reopen Alcatraz over the weekend came just hours after a local PBS affiliate aired “Escape From Alcatraz,” the 1979 Clint Eastwood film dramatizing a real-life prison break from the island. 
Photo composite illustration of Alcatraz island, Al Capone, prison cells and watchtowers
Image
Alcatraz Island tours focus on the main cell house, which is where inmates lived out their sentences during the site’s operation as a federal prison from 1934 to 1963. 

Overview

  • President Trump has ordered federal agencies to explore reopening Alcatraz as a maximum-security prison, framing it as a symbol of law and order.
  • The Bureau of Prisons has committed to studying the feasibility of the plan, but no budget, timeline, or concrete steps have been finalized.
  • Experts and lawmakers from both parties have criticized the proposal as impractical and prohibitively expensive due to Alcatraz’s deteriorated infrastructure and high operational costs.
  • Alcatraz currently operates as a lucrative tourist attraction, drawing 1.6 million visitors annually and generating $60 million in revenue, complicating its potential conversion back into a prison.
  • Speculation has emerged that Trump’s idea may have been influenced by a recent PBS broadcast of the 1979 film 'Escape From Alcatraz,' which aired near his Mar-a-Lago residence.