Does Trump’s plan to reopen Alcatraz pass the DOGE test?

President Donald Trump said he was going to work with federal law enforcement agencies to reopen the famed Alcatraz as a fully functioning prison, but it could be an expensive project given that high costs were the reason the prison closed in the first place.

In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote, “REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ! For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering.”

“The reopening of ALCATRAZ will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE. We will, MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!” he added.

In Sunday’s announcement, the president said he instructed the Bureau of Prisons, the Justice Department, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI to work on his idea.

Alcatraz, the former maximum security prison located on an island in the San Francisco Bay about a mile north of the city, is now a National Historic Landmark that serves as a tourist destination.

This announcement is the latest in the string of initiatives from Trump that he says will protect public safety as well as crack down on unlawful immigration.

Reopening Alcatraz would not be a simple task

According to Newsweek, several obstacles would have to be navigated in order to reopen Alcatraz; this includes transferring management from the National Park Service, securing congressional funding and addressing logistical problems that led to the prison’s original closure.

William K. Marshall III, the U.S. Bureau of Prisons director, said on Monday that his agency will “pursue all avenues” to implement Trump’s proposal for reopening the prison.

“I have ordered an immediate assessment to determine our needs and the next steps,” he said, according to CNN. “USP Alcatraz has a rich history. We look forward to restoring this powerful symbol of law, order, and justice. We will be actively working with our law enforcement and other federal partners to reinstate this very important mission.”

According to The New York Times, turning the facility back into a fully-operational prison would take multiple years and significant federal investment, during a time when the president said he wants to cut down spending.

Alcatraz originally closed because of high costs

Alcatraz’s closure in 1963 came because of the high costs necessary to operate the prison and to renovate it. The building’s walls had corroded from salty sea air and authorities estimated it would cost $3 million to $5 million to restore and maintain the facility, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ website. This number did not include daily operational costs.

Operating Alcatraz was around three times more expensive than operating any other federal prison. The daily per capita cost at Alcatraz in 1959 was $10.10 compared to $3.00 at the federal prison in Atlanta.

The high cost was due to the physical isolation of the island. The isolation meant that everything — food, supplies, water, fuel — had to be brought to the prison by boat, per the Bureau of Prisons. One example of this is that the island had no source of fresh water, so each week, around 1 million gallons of water had to be carried over to the island.

The federal government closed the facility because it was more cost effective to build a new institution inland than to keep operating Alcatraz.

Alcatraz operated as a maximum security prison from 1934 to 1963, dealing with the “most incorrigible inmates in federal prisons,” per the Bureau of Prisons.

During its almost 30 years of operation there were 14 different escape attempts at Alcatraz, involving 36 men; 23 were caught, six were shot and killed, and two drowned, according to CBS.

The prison is also well known for the escape of three men in 1962. The three were never found, per The New York Times. It is unknown if they survived the over a mile-long swim from the island with strong currents and cold water.

The current federal super-maximum security prison in Florence, Colorado, has never had someone escape.

Alcatraz as a tourist attraction

Currently, Alcatraz serves as a tourist destination, operated by the National Park Service. As a part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, Alcatraz welcomes around 1.6 million visitors per year, per USA Today.

The Alcatraz museum takes in $60 million in revenue annually for its park partners.

The prison was first designated as a National Historic Landmark in 1986, but that designation can be “considered for withdrawal either at the request of the owner or on the initiative of the Secretary of the Interior,” according to the National Park Service.

In a historical context, the National Park Service says Alcatraz “represents the federal government’s response to post-Prohibition, post-Depression America. Both the institution and the men confined within its walls reflect our society during this era.”

Reactions to Trump’s Alcatraz proposal

Since Trump’s post about Alcatraz on Sunday evening, many people on the internet have been reacting to the proposal, both positively and negatively.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is a California Democrat, posted on X sharing her thoughts on the proposal to reopen Alcatraz. She said the president’s proposal is “not a serious one.”

One X user, @Turnbull, shared that he questions whether its possible to update and reopen the facility.

Here’s a look at some other reactions from users on X: