Budget proposal advances President Donald Trump’s plan to transform historic tourist site into a modern maximum-security facility despite political opposition
The White House on Friday requested $152 million to reopen Alcatraz Island, located offshore from San Francisco, as a federal prison.
The funding appears in the proposed budget for fiscal year 2027 released by the administration. It would cover first-year costs for the Federal Bureau of Prisons to rebuild the island facility into “a state-of-the-art secure prison facility,” according to the document. Alcatraz has operated as a National Park Service tourist site since 1973, following the prison’s closure in 1963.
The request directly advances President Donald Trump’s earlier call to restore the prison. Congress treats such budget proposals as recommendations rather than guaranteed expenditures.
Trump first directed federal agencies to revive Alcatraz in May 2025. In a social media post that month, he instructed the Bureau of Prisons, the U.S. Department of Justice, and other agencies to “reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt Alcatraz, to house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders.”
He described the project as a “symbol of law, order, and justice.”
The plan has drawn support from advocates of tougher crime policies, while also facing opposition from Democrats concerned about costs and the island’s current role as a tourist destination.
“It would also be a financial boondoggle—not just the massive amount it would cost to reopen Alcatraz as a prison, but all the money and goodwill the park service would lose from closing one of America’s most popular tourist destinations,” Rep. Jared Huffman said in a July 2025 statement.
Alcatraz Island sits approximately 1.25 miles offshore in San Francisco Bay. The existing facility spans 960,000 square feet—nearly the size of 17 football fields. Its cold waters and strong currents made it one of the most secure prisons in the United States during its operation. No successful escapes were officially recorded, though five inmates were listed as missing and presumed drowned.
Alcatraz opened as a federal prison in 1934 and quickly gained notoriety for housing some of the country’s most dangerous criminals. Among its most famous inmates were Al Capone, James 'Whitey' Bulger, and George 'Machine Gun' Kelly.
The Bureau of Prisons closed the facility in 1963, citing operating costs nearly three times higher than other federal prisons. The National Park Service later assumed control, turning it into a major tourist attraction that draws more than one million visitors annually.
Trump’s renewed push brings attention back to a site long regarded as escape-proof. The latest budget request marks the first concrete federal funding step toward converting the island into an active maximum-security prison once again.
Lawmakers are expected to review the proposal as part of broader federal spending negotiations.
