US Seeks $152M to Reopen Alcatraz as Supermax Prison

DID Press: US President Donald Trump has requested that Congress allocate $152 million in the federal budget proposal for fiscal year 2027 to begin the reconstruction and reopening of the notorious Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary.

The proposal, part of a broader budget plan for the United States Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Prisons, aims to cover first-year costs for transforming the island in San Francisco Bay into a modern, high-security correctional facility.

Alcatraz was once among the most heavily guarded prisons in the United States and housed several of the country’s most notorious criminals, including Al Capone and James Whitey Bulger.

The prison was closed in 1969 due to extremely high maintenance costs—estimated at nearly three times those of other federal prisons. Since then, it has been managed by the National Park Service and converted into a historic landmark and major tourist attraction.

According to reports, the proposed funding would cover only initial expenses. Fully converting the historic island into an operational prison would require significantly larger investment, with estimates reaching up to $2 billion.

In addition, the island currently lacks modern water, electricity, and sewage infrastructure, all of which would need to be completely rebuilt before reopening the facility.