On Sunday evening, U.S. President Donald Trump announced via his Truth Social account a controversial new initiative to “reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt Alcatraz,” the infamous island prison that ceased operations in 1963 due to deteriorating infrastructure and soaring maintenance costs.
Alcatraz, located in San Francisco Bay, remains one of the most recognizable institutions in American penal history. While it is often associated with notorious inmates such as Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, and Robert Stroud—the so-called “Birdman of Alcatraz”—the majority of the prison’s 1,576 inmates were lesser-known offenders who had violated regulations in other federal facilities. As a result, they were transferred to what became known as “the prison of prisons,” designed to house the federal system’s most unmanageable inmates.
During its 29 years in operation (1934–1963), Alcatraz was a maximum-security prison with strict conditions. Inmates were guaranteed only the essentials: food, clothing, shelter, and medical care. Privileges, such as access to books or limited correspondence with family, had to be earned. Cells were solitary and stark—measuring just five by nine feet—a feature some prisoners preferred over the overcrowded conditions of other institutions.
One of the most psychologically taxing rules was a mandatory silence policy, which banned all inmate conversation in the prison’s early years. The rule was eventually rescinded in the late 1930s, but not before leaving a lasting impression on many incarcerated there.
Alcatraz’s history is also marked by daring escape attempts. Over its nearly three-decade operation, 36 men made 14 escape attempts. While most were captured or killed, five men disappeared and were presumed to have drowned, though their bodies were never recovered. The most well-known escape occurred in June 1962, when Frank Lee Morris and brothers John and Clarence Anglin broke out after months of careful planning. Assisted by fellow inmate Allen West—who was unable to escape in time—the trio dug through their cell walls using saw blades, crafted dummy heads from soap and hair clippings, and constructed flotation devices from over 50 stolen and donated raincoats.
Despite an extensive FBI investigation, the three men were never found. Authorities ultimately concluded they had drowned in the frigid waters of San Francisco Bay, where survival beyond 20 minutes is unlikely due to hypothermia.
Alcatraz was shut down in 1963 after being deemed financially unsustainable. Now, more than 60 years later, Trump’s proposal to revive and expand the facility suggests a potential return to one of the most austere symbols of American incarceration. The announcement has already sparked speculation and debate over what a modern-day Alcatraz would represent—and whether such a revival aligns with current criminal justice philosophies.
