Former President Donald Trump has called for reopening Alcatraz Island as a federal prison for violent criminals, announcing the proposal this week on TRUTH Social. The former maximum-security penitentiary in San Francisco Bay closed in 1963 and now serves as a tourist attraction operated by the National Park Service.
Trump directed federal agencies, including the Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice, FBI and Department of Homeland Security, to develop plans for a "substantially enlarged and rebuilt" Alcatraz. He stated the facility would house "America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders" and serve as a symbol of "Law, Order, and JUSTICE."
The proposal prompted discussion among former law enforcement officials about alternative locations. Former FBI special agent Jonathan Gilliam suggested San Clemente Island off the coast of California as a potential site for a new isolated prison.
San Clemente Island is currently primarily used by the U.S. Navy for training purposes, including Navy SEAL training. It is accessible only by boat and air, located about 80 miles from San Diego.
Gilliam said San Clemente Island's size and distance from the mainland make it a suitable place for a prison offering isolation. He described it as a "perfect location" where "nobody can hear you scream out there," which he believes would serve as a deterrence.
Trump argued that a revamped Alcatraz, or a similar facility, is necessary because America must return to a time when it locked up dangerous criminals "far away from anyone they could harm."
He stated on TRUTH Social, "No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets."
However, questions have been raised regarding the realism of the plan, potential costs, and the extensive regulatory reviews that would likely be triggered by attempting to convert the historic site back into a functioning prison. Modern maximum-security facilities can cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
