The White House has proposed allocating $152 million to reactivate the former Alcatraz prison island, responding to President Donald Trump’s directive from last year to transform the renowned San Francisco Bay tourist site. This funding request was included in the budget proposal for the 2027 fiscal year, which outlines government spending priorities.
Typically, such budget requests serve as recommendations for Congress, which holds the authority to approve or modify them. The funds are intended for the Federal Bureau of Prisons to cover the initial costs of reconstructing Alcatraz into a modern, secure prison facility. Alcatraz ceased operations in 1969 and has since been managed by the National Park Service.
In a significant development last May, Trump announced via social media that he was instructing the Bureau of Prisons, the Department of Justice, and other agencies to reopen a substantially expanded and rebuilt Alcatraz to detain some of America’s most dangerous and violent criminals.
Originally opened in 1934, Alcatraz was considered the nation’s most secure prison due to its isolated island location, cold surrounding waters, and strong currents. While no successful escapes were officially documented, five inmates remain classified as missing and presumed drowned. The prison once housed infamous criminals such as Al Capone and James “Whitey” Bulger.
The Bureau of Prisons’ website notes that Alcatraz was closed primarily because operating costs were prohibitively high, nearly three times greater than those of any other federal prison at the time.
