In a statement released by President Trump on May 4, the federal government plans to reopen the infamous Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary located in the heart of the San Francisco Bay. After its closure on March 21, 1963, the prison became a museum operated by the National Park Service drawing in an average of 1.5 million visitors a year. Despite extensive efforts that would be necessary to make the prison functional after a 62 year break, the President in his own words prioritizes the symbolic meaning of housing “America’s most ruthless and violent offenders”
As explained by the Federal Bureau of Prisons, the island’s origins date back to the year 1850, when it served as a fortress protecting the bay. Armed with over 100 cannons, Alcatraz was by far the most heavily fortified military base in the Western United States. Military prisoners were eventually transferred to the island. After Alcatraz was no longer a designated defense point, the military prisoners constructed a “foundation for a new military prison.” In 1933, the U.S. Army gave the island to the Department of Justice,who converted it into housing for some of America’s most notorious criminals,including gangster Al Capone. In 1963, the Federal Government deemed it “too expensive to maintain” due to the costs of shipping supplies from the mainland and shut it down. According to the U.S. General Services Administration, in an average prison each prisoner costs $3 per day, whereas running Alcatraz costs $10 per prisoner each day.
Surrounded by the Pacific ocean’s frigid, choppy waters, escape from the island was incredibly challenging, yet not impossible. Although many failed attempts have been recorded, the only instance of a successful escape took place in 1962, when Frank Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin disappeared into the bay at night. Their bodies were never recovered by patrol teams, and it was assumed they had gone on the run.
After decades as an educational site for visitors to learn about the country’s past, the island will once more see inmates walking though its halls. In an interview with FoxNews on May 17, the current director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons William Marshall said “We’ve got engineering teams out there now that are doing some assessments. I’m just really excited about the opportunity and possibilities”
In his second term, President Trump has been taking steps to enforce social order, and says the reopening of Alcatraz Island “will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE.”
