Donald Trump is seeking $152 million in his fiscal 2027 budget proposal to begin rebuilding Alcatraz Island as a prison facility for violent offenders, according to multiple reports. The funding request is part of a broader $1.7 billion investment in the Federal Bureau of Prisons, but would cover only the first year of costs for converting Alcatraz back into an active penitentiary. The facility would house 'America’s most ruthless and violent offenders' according to the White House budget document. Trump directed the Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security to reopen a rebuilt Alcatraz, a directive he first issued in a Truth Social post in May 2024. In that post, Trump wrote: '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.' The proposal also asks for 1.4 billion Swedish kronor, according to some reports.
Alcatraz opened as a federal prison in the 1930s after serving as a naval defence fort and military prison. It housed notorious gangsters including Al Capone, Mickey Cohen, and George 'Machine Gun' Kelly. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy closed Alcatraz in 1963 primarily due to exorbitant operating costs. In 1959, the daily per-inmate cost at Alcatraz was $10.10 compared with $3 elsewhere.
The island lacks fresh water and a sewage system; nearly one million gallons of water had to be barged in weekly. These logistical challenges contributed to the high costs that led to its closure. Since its closure, Alcatraz has been managed by the National Park Service as a tourist attraction, generating approximately $60 million in annual revenue from about 1.6 million visitors each year. The budget proposal does not specify how the prison operation would coexist with or replace the current tourist use, nor does it provide a total estimated cost for full reconstruction or a timeline for the project. The proposal's status in Congress remains unclear.