US President Donald Trump is seeking $152 million (£115 million) to reopen the infamous Alcatraz prison as part of his proposed budget for the 2027 fiscal year. Located near San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, the site, also known as The Rock, was once regarded as one of America's most notorious prisons but has served as a tourist attraction in recent years.
The budget request is seeking money 'to rebuild Alcatraz as a state-of-the-art secure prison facility', with funds covering the first year of costs. The plan has been met with skepticism by several politicians in California, raising questions about the final cost of the project and the challenges of running Alcatraz as an active prison.
The maximum security facility was closed in 1963. As a tourist site, it is currently managed by the National Park Service. In response to the budget proposal, former speaker for the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi said it was 'absurd on its face and should be rejected outright', describing the plan as a 'stupid notion that would be nothing more than a waste of taxpayer dollars'.
Concerns continue regarding the practicality of reopening Alcatraz, particularly due to the absence of running water and sewage systems on the island, with all necessary supplies needing to be transported by boat. By the time it closed, Alcatraz was already operating at three times the cost of other federal prisons.
Pelosi echoed the sentiments of other San Francisco politicians who expressed that turning Alcatraz back into a prison would mean losing an iconic landmark which currently generates about $60 million in revenue as a tourist attraction. Trump's request for reopening Alcatraz is part of a broader $1.7 billion investment into the Bureau of Prisons. If the plan is to move forward, it will require approval from the US Congress.
The budget request is seeking money 'to rebuild Alcatraz as a state-of-the-art secure prison facility', with funds covering the first year of costs. The plan has been met with skepticism by several politicians in California, raising questions about the final cost of the project and the challenges of running Alcatraz as an active prison.
The maximum security facility was closed in 1963. As a tourist site, it is currently managed by the National Park Service. In response to the budget proposal, former speaker for the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi said it was 'absurd on its face and should be rejected outright', describing the plan as a 'stupid notion that would be nothing more than a waste of taxpayer dollars'.
Concerns continue regarding the practicality of reopening Alcatraz, particularly due to the absence of running water and sewage systems on the island, with all necessary supplies needing to be transported by boat. By the time it closed, Alcatraz was already operating at three times the cost of other federal prisons.
Pelosi echoed the sentiments of other San Francisco politicians who expressed that turning Alcatraz back into a prison would mean losing an iconic landmark which currently generates about $60 million in revenue as a tourist attraction. Trump's request for reopening Alcatraz is part of a broader $1.7 billion investment into the Bureau of Prisons. If the plan is to move forward, it will require approval from the US Congress.
