---
title: "Trump directs Bureau of Prisons to reopen Alcatraz"
description: "SAN FRANCISCO, May 4 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he was directing the Federal Bureau of Prisons to rebuild and reopen the infamous Alcatraz prison in the San Francisco Bay to \"house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders.\""
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "Newsdeck"
author: "Reuters"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/reuters/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2025-05-05-trump-directs-bureau-of-prisons-to-reopen-alcatraz/"
published: "2025-05-05T04:09:00"
updated: "2025-05-05T04:09:02"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 201
---

# Trump directs Bureau of Prisons to reopen Alcatraz

> SAN FRANCISCO, May 4 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he was directing the Federal Bureau of Prisons to rebuild and reopen the infamous Alcatraz prison in the San Francisco Bay to "house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders."

By Reuters · Published 5 May 2025, 06:09 SAST · Updated 5 May 2025, 06:09 SAST

## Key points
- In a move that could make even Al Capone chuckle from the afterlife, Trump has proposed reopening Alcatraz as a grand symbol of law and order, despite it being more expensive to run than a five-star resort on a private island.
- Trump proposes reopening and expanding Alcatraz as a federal prison, citing a need for stronger law enforcement.
- The former prison, known for housing infamous criminals like Al Capone, closed in 1963 due to high operational costs.
- He claims the initiative reflects a commitment to "law and order" in America.
- Critics question the feasibility and rationale behind reviving an expensive, historic site for modern incarceration.

## Content

"REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!" he posted on the Truth Social platform. "When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm."

The federal prison at Alcatraz housed notorious U.S. criminals such as Al Capone before it closed in 1963. It is now one of San Francisco's most popular tourist destinations.

"Today, I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ," Trump wrote.

Trump told reporters as he returned to the White House from Florida, that reopening the prison was "Just an idea I've had" and decided to act on.

"It's a symbol of law and order," he said.

Alcatraz was closed because it was too expensive to continue operating, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) [website](https://www.bop.gov/about/history/alcatraz.jsp), in large part due to its island location. It was nearly three times more costly to operate than any other federal prison, the BOP website said.

(Reporting by Kristina Cooke in San Francisco and Steve Holland in Washington; Editing by Diane Craft and Jacqueline Wong)