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Donald Trump has ordered the notorious Alcatraz prison to reopen and expand to house the ‘most dangerous criminals.’
The US President revealed his ‘idea’ to reopen one of the world’s most infamous prisons, which shut down more than 60 years ago.
Alcatraz, a maximum security prison on a remote island in the San Francisco Bay, was once home to inmates like mafia boss Al Capone, gangster Alvin Karpis and George ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly Barnes.
Trump posted on his Truth Social social media platform last night that ‘the reopening of ALCATRAZ will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE.’
Why does Trump want to re-open Alcatraz Prison?
He wrote that he is directing the Bureau of Prisons and the Department of Justice, FBI and Homeland Security to ‘reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt Alcatraz.’
He told reporters later on the White House Lawn it was ‘just an idea I had’ and accused ‘radicalised judges’ of wanting to have a trial ‘for every single person who came into our country illegally.’
‘It’s long been a symbol, Alcatraz, of law and order and its got quite a history,’ he said.
‘So, I think we’re going to do that.’
The former House of Representatives speaker and Democrat, Nancy Pelosi, said Trump’s plan is ‘not a serious one.’
She wrote on X: ‘Alcatraz closed as a federal penitentiary more than sixty years ago. It is now a very popular national park and major tourist attraction. The President’s proposal is not a serious one.’
What is Alcatraz Prison?
The prison was set up in the late 1850s to house military inmates and it was used by the US Army for more than 80 years.
Despite the famous inmates like Al Capone, most of the prisoners were not well-known gangsters.
The most violent and dangerous offenders and those at risk of escaping could expect a transfer to the infamous island prison nicknamed ‘The Rock.’
Prisoners faced harsh conditions inside due to strict rules and a lack of privileges.
Alcatraz is known for being almost impossible to escape from as it sits around 1.25 miles from the mainland, surrounded by currents and cold water.
However, some inmates have been desperate enough to take on the shark-infested freezing waters.
Frank Morris and brothers Josh and Clarence Anglin managed to get out of the prison and entered the water.
Their fate remains a mystery to this day as they might have drowned, while others believe the trio swam to shore and started new lives.
Between 1934 and 1963, 36 men tried to escape the island, but none of them got very far. Twenty-three were caught, six were shot and two drowned in the bay.
Why was the prison closed?
Alcatraz came to the end of its road as a prison in March 1963.
It had become too expensive to run, and maintenance works would have cost an extra $5 million.
Due to being an island, all supplies had to be taken there by boat, including water, fuel and food.
After the prison closed, Native American campaigners and activists protesting the US government’s treatment of indigenous people took over the island.
The protest occupation continued from November 1969 until June 1971. The American Indian Movement increased awareness of Native American issues, land rights and culture.
Alcatraz Island became a tourist attraction in 1973, with more than a million visitors flocking to it to learn about its grim history.
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