Trump’s $152 million plan to revive Alcatraz – Everything about the notorious prison

US President Donald Trump on Friday (Apr 3) asked Congress for $152 million to rebuild and reopen the notorious Alcatraz prison, pushing his plan to revive the former island jail as a secure facility. The fund has been requested as part of the White House’s proposed budget for 2027 and would cover the first-year cost of converting the San Francisco Bay site into what has been described as a “state-of-the-art secure prison facility” by Trump administration officials.

The proposed funds are a part of $1.7 billion planned to boost the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ capabilities to improve pay and working conditions of the facilities amid longstanding staff shortages.

Now an historical landmark and a tourist location with 1.2 million visitors annually, Alcatraz first opened as a federal penitentiary in 1934. It was among the most secure prisons in the United States due to its isolated location on an island. A small number of prisoners were held in the facility, including high-profile inmates such as Al Capone. In 1962, the island fortress became an American cultural lore after three inmates made an escape, becoming an inspiration for the movie “Escape from Alcatraz” starring Clint Eastwood. The prison was closed shortly after in 1962, and since the early 1970s, it has been managed by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

The facility was shut down due to its crumbling infrastructure and high maintenance costs. According to estimates, it would have cost $3 million to $5 million “just for restoration and maintenance work to keep the prison open,” excluding the daily operating costs.

The Federal Bureau of Prisons has said that operating expenses for the isolated prison would amount to nearly three times higher than those of other federal facilities. This is because all supplies, including fresh water, need to be transported to the island.

Since last year, Trump has pushed for the reopening of Alcatraz, citing it as a symbol of a tougher approach to crime. In May 2025, Trump said in a social media post that he was 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.” He added, “The reopening of ALCATRAZ will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE.”

While the White House argues that rebuilding the facility would help modernise the federal prison system and expand capacity for high-risk inmates, critics have questioned the practicality and cost of the reopening. Axios reported, citing administration officials, that any “supermax” prison facility at the site would need to be built from scratch. The rebuilding would cost around $2 billion.