Trump calls for US to ‘rebuild, reopen Alcatraz’

Trump posted on Truth Social, "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.”

The president continued, "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. No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets."

Trump added that he is directing the Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice, FBI, and Department of Homeland Security to reopen a "substantially enlarged and rebuilt" version of the infamous prison "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," he continued. "The reopening of ALCATRAZ will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE. We will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"

In the 1850s, Alcatraz, located on a 22-acre spit of rock, was a military fortress and served as a military prison from 1907-1933. Alcatraz became a federal prison in 1934, but was shuttered in the 1960s after 29 years of service. Its most notorious inmates included James "Whitey" Bulger, Al Capone and George "Machine Gun" Kelly, as well as Robert Stroud, the "Birdman of Alcatraz," and "Public Enemy No. 1" Alvin Karpis.

Due to its 1.25-mile distance to shore, the island in San Francisco Bay was considered escape-proof. However, there were 14 documented attempted escapes, most notably on June 11, 1962, when John and Clarence Anglin and Frank Morris escaped the island, which inspired the movie "Escape from Alcatraz." The prisoners chiseled an escape route from their cells and built a makeshift raft using raincoats and placed dummies with papier-mâché heads in their beds. The FBI concluded the escapees drowned due to harsh conditions, but the men were never found.

Alcatraz closed in 1963 after operating the island prison became more costly than mainland-based facilities. From 1969-1970 the island was occupied by a group of Native Americans in an attempt to claim the land as their own, but after the death of a child of the organizers and a fire that destroyed several historic buildings, as well as hippies and vagrants moving onto the island, the protest was shut down.

Alcatraz Island opened to tourists in 1973 and remains a popular San Francisco attraction operated by the National Park Service.