(NEXSTAR) – President Trump on Sunday said he ordered federal officials to rebuild, enlarge and reopen Alcatraz “to house America’s most ruthless and violent offenders.”
“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 post reads, in part. “That’s the way it’s supposed to be.”
Trump’s plans quickly earned scorn from Democratic lawmakers in California, including Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who called the proposal “not a serious one.” In a statement to Nexstar’s KRON, California Gov. Gavin Newsom suggested that Sunday must have been another “distraction day” in Washington D.C.
Despite their statements, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) is apparently seeking to implement the president’s plan, according to a statement from BOP Director William K. Marshall III.
“The Bureau of Prisons (BOP) will vigorously pursue all avenues to support and implement the President’s agenda. I have ordered an immediate assessment to determine our needs and the next steps,” reads a statement attributed to Marshall, who was sworn in less than two weeks ago. “USP Alcatraz has a rich history. We look forward to restoring this powerful symbol of law, order, and justice. We will be actively working with our law enforcement and other federal partners to reinstate this very important mission.”
The BOP, however, declined to respond to questions concerning any plans to mitigate the expenses that forced the closure of the Alcatraz prison more than 60 years ago.
As outlined on the BOP’s own website, USP (U.S. Penitentiary) Alcatraz closed in 1963, after federal officials realized it would be much less expensive to simply build a new prison elsewhere. The government spent between $3–$5 million just on upkeep, according to the site.
“That figure did not include daily operating costs — Alcatraz was nearly three times more expensive to operate than any other Federal prison,” the BOP acknowledged.
These operating costs were largely fueled by the need to bring supplies to Alcatraz Island by boat. Even in recent decades, an Alcatraz tour operator was still operating under an agreement to bring water and supplies — and haul away sewage and trash — from Alcatraz, according to an Alcatraz Cruises executive who spoke with Pumps & Systems, a trade publication for the pump system industry.
Bringing the facility up to modern-day standards would require massive investments, too. The National Park Service — which oversees Alcatraz Island as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area — said “significant resources” have been spent to repair structures affected by corrosion.
“Not only has Alcatraz proven to be a harsh environment for convicts incarcerated on the island, but the salty marine air has proven to be extremely harsh to the island’s many historic structures,” the NPS once wrote of its preservation efforts.
Alcatraz has served as a military fortification, a military prison and a federal prison until it became a national recreation area in 1972. (John S. Lander/LightRocket via Getty Images)
Today, Alcatraz Island is also a major destination for domestic and foreign visitors to the San Francisco Bay. Businesses such as Alcatraz Cruises have been authorized by the National Park Service to facilitate tourism.
A representative for Alcatraz Cruises was not immediately available to comment on any financial impact Trump’s proposal may have on business. Representatives for the Bureau of Prisons or National Park Service did not respond to questions concerning tourism as of Monday afternoon.
Officials with Alcatraz Cruises were also reportedly in talks with boxing mogul Turki Alalshikh to host a boxing match at the site, though it’s unclear how far those talks had progressed.
The order to reopen Alcatraz comes amid clashing with the courts as he tries to send accused gang members to a notorious prison in El Salvador without due process. Trump has also directed the opening of a detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, to hold up to 30,000 of what he has labeled the “worst criminal aliens.”
The Bureau of Prisons currently also has 16 penitentiaries performing the same high-security functions as Alcatraz, including its maximum security facility in Florence, Colorado, and the U.S. penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana, which is home to the federal death chamber.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
