Attorney General Pam Bondi and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum on Thursday were scheduled to visit the infamous Alcatraz prison site on an island just off the California coast of San Francisco.
Local ABC7 reported the two were prepared to announce the potential of rebuilding the federal prison there and putting it back into service as a high-security detention facility.
President Donald Trump has mentioned Alcatraz in social media posts, including on July 1, when he hinted at the potential of bringing the site back into service. "I saw a picture of ALCATRAZ looking so foreboding, and I said, We're going to look into renovating and rebuilding the famous ALCATRAZ Prison sitting high on the Bay, surrounded by sharks." Trump added, "What a symbol it is, and will be!"
The name was picked up on by the Trump administration and used in connection with its new prison situated in the Florida Everglades called "Alligator Alcatraz" due to the reptiles that inhabit the surrounding wetlands.
The small island that is the foundation for the original prison is surrounded by perpetually cold water with strong currents and is inhabited by Great White Sharks. The combination presents obvious obstacles for anyone thinking of making a break from the prison.
In a release about the potential of reopening the prison site, former House Speaker, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-CA, said, "The planned announcement to reopen Alcatraz as a federal penitentiary is the Trump Administration's stupidest initiative yet."
The Bureau of Prisons reported on its website that the original Alcatraz federal prison closed in 1963 after being open for 29 years. In 1972, it was reopened as a national park site and draws more than 1 million visitors annually. It housed some of the most dangerous federal prisoners and especially those considered escape risks.
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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