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(NewsNation) — President Donald Trump has directed his authorities to expand and reopen Alcatraz for the lodging of America's "most ruthless and violent" criminals.
The long-defunct situation is indispensable to America's history, but the world of reopening the iconic associated and keeping it moving would apt prove difficult — and pricey — if past is immoderate indication.
What is Alcatraz?
Alcatraz, derived from the Spanish "Alcatraces," is an land located disconnected San Francisco. It 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.
Dubbed "The Rock," Alcatraz is surrounded by frigid waters — and not-so-deadly sharks. It served arsenic the nation's highest-security situation until its closure successful 1963.
A situation compartment astatine Alcatraz Island connected Aug. 15, 2023 successful San Francisco. 
A situation compartment artifact astatine Alcatraz Island connected Aug.15, 2023 successful San Francisco.
Gangster Alphonse 'Al' Capone poses for a mugshot connected his accomplishment astatine Alcatraz connected Aug. 22, 1934, successful San Francisco. (Photo by Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)
One of the cells successful Cell Block B successful Alcatraz Prison from which 3 prisoners escaped. An serviceman shows the wrong of a removable conception of exit cover.
It housed notorious Chicago mob brag Al Capone and Robert Stroud, a convicted murderer who studied birds connected the land from down bars and 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, per authoritative records.
Today, the erstwhile situation is simply a popular depository and tourer destination tally by the National Park Service.
Why was Alcatraz closed?
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 cleanable 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.
Bearing that measure and shipping implicit supplies was excessively dense a assistance for a situation that, astatine most, held astir 300 prisoners and whose infrastructure was rapidly declining.
Today, the national situation system's yearly fund is astir $8.7 billion, and lodging costs astir $44,000 per captive annually.
Trump: Reopened Alcatraz would clasp 'dregs of society'
In a social media post, Trump said helium is tapping the Bureau of Prisons and different national instrumentality enforcement agencies to “reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt” mentation of Alcatraz.
“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,” the station read.
A spokesperson for the Bureau of Prisons said successful a connection to the Associated Press that the bureau “will comply with each Presidential Orders.”
That authoritative did not instantly reply questions astir the practicality and feasibility of reopening "The Rock."
Currently, Alcatraz remains nether the jurisdiction of the National Park Service, which has faced massive cuts successful payroll and people astatine Trump's direction.
