Trending 
US President Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he has instructed officials to renovate and reopen Alcatraz prison, the infamous federal facility on a small island in California that ceased operations six decades ago.
“Today, I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders,” Trump said.
According to the US Bureau of Prisons, Alcatraz was shut down in 1963 because of its high operating expenses after being in use for only 29 years. However, it is currently a popular tourist destination.
Located about two kilometres off the San Francisco coast and capable of housing just 336 inmates, it accommodated several infamous criminals, including mob boss Al Capone during the Prohibition era, and witnessed numerous daring escape attempts from its inmates.
Trump has stressed a tough stance on crime—especially crimes committed by migrants—as a central focus of his second term as president. The island prison became part of American cultural history following a 1962 escape by three inmates, notably Frank Morris, which inspired the movie “Escape from Alcatraz” featuring Clint Eastwood.
The prison was shut down on March 21, 1963, shortly after the escape, because, according to the Bureau of Prisons, its operating costs were three times higher than those of any other federal prison.
The main expenses stemmed from the island’s remote location, requiring food, supplies, fuel, and even drinking water to be transported to the island weekly. In addition to the operating costs, the Bureau of Prisons estimated that around $3 million to $5 million more was necessary just for upkeep and restoration efforts.
It became a tourist attraction again in 1973, drawing more than one million visitors annually.
