President Donald Trump has asked the Bureau of Prisons, the Department of Justice (DOJ), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to consider reopening and reconstructing Alcatraz to house the “most ruthless and violent” offenders.
In a post about the True Society, Trump reflected on a time when the United States was a “more serious country,” suggesting the government didn’t hesitate to lock up its most dangerous criminals.
“Rebuild and open Alcatraz!” he urged. “For too long, America has been burdened with vicious, repeat offenders who only bring misery and suffering to society.”
Trump emphasized that this approach is necessary, asserting that the US will not tolerate “these serial criminals spreading chaos and violence” in communities.
“Today, I’m instructing the Bureau of Prisons, along with the DOJ and the DHS, to substantially expand and renovate Alcatraz for our nation’s most ruthless criminals,” he continued. “We understand that criminals, thugs, and even some judges are acting like hostages in this system, but we will address those who have entered our country illegally. The reopening of Alcatraz will stand as a symbol of law, order, and justice.”
Infamous figures like the American gangster Al Capone and “Machine Gun Kelly” were once inmates at Alcatraz, located on an island off San Francisco’s coast. Additionally, Robert Stroud, known as “the Birdman of Alcatraz,” was convicted of manslaughter in 1909, and later received a death sentence for murder.
Alcatraz served as a federal penitentiary between 1934 and 1963, and it has come to symbolize the federal government’s historical responses to criminality.
