WASHINGTON, United States: US President Donald Trump asked Congress on Friday for $152 million to begin rebuilding the notorious Alcatraz prison, pressing ahead with his vision to return the former island lockup to active use.
The funding request, included in the White House´s proposed 2027 budget, would cover the first year of converting the San Francisco Bay site into what officials describe as a “state-of-the-art secure prison facility.”
Trump has pushed for reopening Alcatraz since last year, portraying it as a symbol of a tougher approach to crime.
In a social media post at the time, he called for a “substantially enlarged and rebuilt” facility to house the country´s most dangerous offenders.
The proposal comes as part of a broader Justice Department budget that emphasizes prison investment and law enforcement, though such requests are ultimately subject to approval by Congress.
Political news outlet Axios, citing administration officials, reported that any “supermax” prison complex at the site would have to be built from scratch -- putting the total cost at somewhere around $2 billion. Alcatraz, which opened as a federal penitentiary in 1934, was once considered among the most secure prisons in the United States due to its isolated island location and the strong currents surrounding it.
