The president of the United States, Donald Trump, asked Congress on Friday for $152 million to begin rebuilding the famous Alcatraz prison, in line with his vision of returning this former prison on an island to activity.
Trump has pushed to reopen Alcatraz since last year, presenting it as a symbol of a tougher stance on crime.
The request for funds was included in the White House budget proposal for 2027 sent to the Legislature. It would cover the first year of renovations to turn the prison located in San Francisco Bay into a “state-of-the-art secure correctional facility.”
Trump aims for Alcatraz to house the most dangerous criminals in the country.
Axios, citing administration officials, reported that any maximum-security prison complex there would have to be built from scratch, putting the total cost around $2 billion.
Alcatraz, which opened as a federal penitentiary in 1934, was once considered one of the safest prisons in the United States due to its location and the strong water currents that surround it.
It housed a relatively small number of inmates, including high-profile inmates like Al Capone.
The island fortress became part of the American cultural imagination after the escape of three prisoners in 1962, which inspired the film “Escape from Alcatraz,” starring Clint Eastwood.
It was closed in 1963 after authorities determined it was too expensive to maintain.
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