Alcatraz Island and its enduring role in California history
A tour of Alcatraz Island explores its history as a federal prison and site of Native American protest.
President Donald Trump wants to reopen San Francisco’s infamous Alcatraz Island as a modern-day federal prison, and is asking Congress for $152 million in funding to get the project started, according to his 2027 budget proposal.
In his Justice Department budget request, the president proposed turning Alcatraz into a “state-of-the-art” secure prison facility. It is currently operated as a San Francisco Bay tourist attraction. As part of its budget request, the administration specified that it would draw money from the president’s Working Families Tax Cuts Act, also known as the “Big and Beautiful Bill.”
The request was included in the budget released by the White House to fund the government for fiscal year 2027. Such spending requests are typically treated as proposals by members of Congress.
The facility opened in 1934 as a maximum-security prison, housing notorious criminals such as Chicago gangsters Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, and Robert Stroud. The prison operated for about 29 years until the federal government deemed it too expensive to operate and closed it in 1963.
The president has voiced his desire to reopen Alcatraz, and after visiting the prison on May 4, 2025, he ordered the Bureau of Prisons to develop a plan to rebuild the facility.
“Reopening Alcatraz will be a symbol of law, order and justice. We will make America great again,” President Trump posted on Truth Social on May 4, 2025. “For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, habitual criminals, the dregs of society, who would never contribute anything but misery and suffering. Even in the past, when we were a more serious nation, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals and keep them away from those who could do them harm.”
It was not immediately clear what the total expected cost of rebuilding Alcatraz would be.
Trump is not the first president to consider reopening Alcatraz.
In 1981, former President Ronald Reagan and his administration considered reopening the maximum-security facility. However, construction was ultimately rejected due to the facility’s lack of facilities, historic nature, popularity as a tourist destination, and limited space for the facility, which can accommodate up to 336 people.
What is Alcatraz?
Alcatraz Island is an island in San Francisco Bay that was used as a prison from 1934 to 1963, according to the BOP.
The island was discovered in 1775 by Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala, who named it Isla de los Alcatraces, meaning Island of the Pelicans. Over time, it was shortened and Americanized and became known as Alcatraz, according to the National Park Service.
According to the BOP, the island was used as a military fort from 1850 to 1933, during which time it also housed military prisoners of war.
In 1933, the Department of Justice took over Alcatraz Island and opened a maximum-security prison housing some of the nation’s most dangerous criminals.
According to the NPS, Alcatraz closed in 1963 after 29 years of operation. Alcatraz remained abandoned until 1969, when a group of Native American activists occupied the island and remained there for the next two years, according to the NPS.
In 1973, NPS opened Alcatraz Island as a public museum. According to the BOP, it receives more than 1 million visitors a year, making it one of the most popular national parks.
Where is Alcatraz Island?
Alcatraz Island is a 22-acre island located in San Francisco Bay about 2.4 miles off the coast, according to the Golden Gate National Park Conservancy. It is about five miles from the Golden Gate Bridge, according to Pacific Open Water Swim.
The only way to get to the island is by boat, which helps the prison maintain its physical separation from society, according to the BOP.
One of the common rumors about Alcatraz is that it was surrounded by shark-infested waters, making it impossible to swim to the mainland shore. However, this rumor is not true as there are only small bottom-feeding sharks in San Francisco Bay, according to BOP.
Several prisoners attempted to swim to the mainland, but cold water temperatures and strong currents largely thwarted their attempts. BOP said several people, including several children and fitness coach Jack LaLanne, have successfully swam across the bay over the years.
When was Alcatraz closed and why?
According to the BOP, the Alcatraz prison was closed on March 21, 1963 because it was too expensive to continue operating.
Alcatraz cost nearly three times more to operate than other federal prisons, in part because physical isolation required food and supplies to be unloaded by boat.
The island also had no fresh water source, so nearly 1 million gallons had to be pumped in each week.
At the time of its closure, Alcatraz Island was in need of restoration and maintenance work that was estimated to have cost approximately $3 million to $5 million, not including day-to-day operating costs.
contribution: melina khan and Dinah Boyles Pulvertoday’s America; Reuters
Noe Padilla is a Northern California reporter for USA Today. To contact him, npadilla@usatodayco.comX Follow him at @1NoePadilla or Bluesky @noepadilla.bsky.social..
