President Donald Trump has requested $152 million to reopen the infamous Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary as part of the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget.
Alcatraz, also known as “The Rock,” was once considered one of the most dangerous prisons in the United States, while in recent years it has operated as a tourist attraction under the administration of the National Park Service.
According to reports, the requested funds would be used “to rebuild Alcatraz as a modern and secure prison facility,” covering first-year costs.
The plan has been met with skepticism by politicians in California, who have raised concerns about the final cost and the challenges of managing the prison as an active facility.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called the proposal “absurd” and “a waste of taxpayer money.”
Alcatraz was closed in 1963 after being three times more expensive to operate than other federal prisons. Today, as a tourist attraction, it generates around $60 million annually. Critics of Trump’s plan point to the lack of running water and sewage systems on the island, as well as the logistical challenges of transporting supplies by boat.
Trump has stated that the rebuilt prison would be used to house “America’s most ruthless and violent criminals.”
Alcatraz once held notorious inmates such as Al Capone, Mickey Cohen, and George Kelly, and has been immortalized in films like Escape from Alcatraz and The Rock.
