1 month ago
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(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump whitethorn beryllium fulfilling his committedness to reopen Alcatraz, the notorious and long-shuttered situation disconnected the seashore of San Francisco, to location America's “most ruthless and violent” criminals.
Attorney General Pam Bondi and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum will sojourn the land connected Thursday and are expected to marque an announcement, a root acquainted with the travel confirmed to NewsNation.
Alcatraz, besides known arsenic “The Rock,” was a national situation that operated betwixt 1934 and 1963, when it was closed due to the fact that of precocious operating costs.
Today, the erstwhile situation is a popular depository and tourer destination, operated by the National Park Service and protected from development. However, Congress could walk caller authorities to alteration that.
'Rebuild, and unfastened Alcatraz': Trump
In May, Trump directed the Bureau of Prisons and different national instrumentality enforcement agencies to grow and reopen the prison, writing connected societal media, "REBUILD, AND REOPEN ALCATRAZ!"
He said the reopening would service arsenic a "symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE."
Trump couched his program — it wasn’t instantly known however viable it would beryllium — arsenic a mode to get pugnacious connected crime. He targeted what helium called repetition offenders and the “dregs of society.”
“When we were a much superior Nation, successful times past, we did not hesitate to fastener up the astir unsafe criminals, and support them acold distant from anyone they could harm. That’s the mode it’s expected to be,” Trump wrote.
Nancy Pelosi condemns Trump's connection to reopen Alcatraz
Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., criticized Thursday's visit, calling the propulsion to reopen Alcatraz the "stupidest inaugural yet" for the Trump administration.
In a statement, she wrote, "It should interest america each that intelligibly the lone intelligence resources the Administration has drawn upon for this foolish conception are decades-old fictional Hollywood movies."
Pelosi, whose legislature territory includes Alcatraz Island, added that if Trump's program ever reaches Congress, Democrats volition combat against it.
What is Alcatraz, and wherefore was it closed?
Alcatraz, derived from the Spanish “Alcatraces,” was primitively utilized arsenic a citadel successful the 1850s, and the government’s archetypal prisoners arrived onshore by the extremity of the decade.
In 1909, the U.S. Army destroyed the citadel, and its subject prisoners began operation of a lockup successful the fortress’ footprint, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The Department of Justice took power successful 1933, and it opened successful 1934.
Alcatraz is surrounded by frigid waters — and not-so-deadly sharks. It housed notorious Chicago mob boss Al Capone and Robert Stroud, a convicted murderer who studied birds connected the land from down bars, who was known arsenic the “Birdman of Alcatraz.”
Notably, it was the tract of galore flight attempts — 14, to beryllium exact, involving 36 men successful full — though nary 1 ever successfully made it to shore, according to authoritative records.
The determination to adjacent Alcatraz was 1 of logistics, according to the Bureau of Prisons.
It outgo the U.S. authorities astir $3 to $5 cardinal conscionable to support the situation open, excluding regular operating costs, making it astir 3 times much costly than different national prisons.
The island’s carnal location, portion perfect for keeping prisoners trapped, required fuel, nutrient and astir 1 cardinal gallons of caller h2o barged successful each week, according to the National Park Service.
NewsNation's Anna Kutz and Michael Ramsey contributed to this report.
