US President Donald Trump is seeking $152 million (£115 million) to reopen the infamous Alcatraz prison as part of his proposed budget for the 2027 fiscal year.
Located near San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge, the site, also known as The Rock, was once regarded as one of America's most notorious prisons, but has served as a tourist attraction in recent years.
The budget request aims to overhaul Alcatraz into a state-of-the-art secure prison facility, with allocated funds covering the initial year of costs.
This proposal has met skepticism from numerous California politicians, who question the project's final cost and operational challenges associated with running Alcatraz as an active prison.
The maximum security facility was decommissioned in 1963 and is currently managed by the National Park Service as a historical site.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ridiculed the proposal, labeling it absurd on its face and suggesting it would be a waste of taxpayer dollars and an insult to the intelligence of the American people.
Pelosi and other local leaders argue that converting Alcatraz back into a prison would jeopardize its status as an iconic landmark.
The facility presently generates about $60 million (£45 million) annually as a tourist attraction, raising concerns about the impact of repurposing it for incarceration.
The requested budget is part of a broader $1.7 billion (£1.3 billion) investment into the Bureau of Prisons.
Challenges highlighted by critics include the absence of running water and sewage systems on the island, with all supplies needing to be transported by boat. Moreover, historical data indicates that, by the time Alcatraz closed, its operational costs were three times those of other federal prisons.
Trump first announced the reopening plans via Truth Social, stating that he directed various federal agencies to work together on this project aimed at housing America's most ruthless and violent offenders. Alcatraz, originally a military fort, was later turned into a federal prison, famously housing notorious figures like Al Capone and George Machine Gun Kelly. Its legacy continues to capture public imagination, serving as a backdrop for numerous films.
