Saturday, April 04, 2026

Trump Wants $152 Million to Rebuild and Reopen Alcatraz

President Donald Trump is seeking $152 million to cover the first year of costs to reopen the infamous Alcatraz prison as a secure facility.

Posted by REDIAL at 07:30 PM | 20 COMMENTS | permalink

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Trump seeks $152 million to reopen Alcatraz as active prison reut.rs/4sdJlsW

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-- Reuters (@reuters.com) Apr 3, 2026 at 12:10 PM

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Trump floats reopening Alcatraz -- here's how much revenue the notorious prison generates (May 2025)
www.foxbusiness.com

... The federal prison at Alcatraz closed in 1963 because it was several times more expensive to operate than other prisons.

President Donald Trump on Sunday announced that he's directing federal agencies to reopen the prison at Alcatraz after rebuilding and expanding the prison that was shuttered over 60 years ago and currently serves as a museum and tourist destination in the San Francisco Bay Area.

The maximum-security federal penitentiary at Alcatraz Island opened in 1934, located 1.25 miles from the coast, where it was thought to be escape-proof because of the San Francisco Bay's strong currents and shark-infested waters. The federal prison housed notorious criminals like Al Capone, and saw a high-profile escape that inspired the 1979 Hollywood film "Escape from Alcatraz."

The prison at Alcatraz closed in 1963 because it was no longer cost-effective compared to other prisons. Ahead of its closure, the Bureau of Prisons said Alcatraz's operating costs were over three times that of any other federal prison in 1959 " $10.10 daily per capita cost compared with $3 in Atlanta. ...


#1 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-04-03 07:42 PM

imo, Pres Trump probably just wants to cut off a part of California's tourist revenue...

#2 | Posted by LampLighter at 2026-04-03 07:43 PM

Mark this down as something else that will never happen, like that idiotic "Arc de tRump"

#3 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2026-04-03 07:57 PM

Might be worth it if he ends up going to prison.
He can have the whole "rock" to himself.

#4 | Posted by a_monson at 2026-04-04 05:51 AM

Mar-a-Lago West

#5 | Posted by TrueBlue at 2026-04-04 07:40 AM

Reopen it and lock him and corrupt family and administration in it.

#6 | Posted by johnny_hotsauce at 2026-04-04 10:50 PM

If it were up to me, that prison would be demolished and in its place would be a park, with kiosks for food and places to sit and picnic...a positive influence on the city, rather than an icon elevating the lives of those who have committed major crimes.

#7 | Posted by Hughmass at 2026-04-05 06:57 AM

trump is spending just as he did 6 times before-he's taking us right over the cliff.

#8 | Posted by Yodagirl at 2026-04-05 11:06 AM

"an icon elevating the lives of those who have committed major crimes."

#7 | Posted by Hughmass

Errr...really? IT'S A ------- PRISON.

#9 | Posted by LegallyYourDead at 2026-04-05 02:37 PM

Trump is an idiot.

Alcatraz is nothing more than an amusement park for tourists.

You can't just "reopen it", you'd have to demolish it and rebuild the entire prison.

Costs will be in the billions.

Not that Trump has any issue with spending taxpayers dollars.

#10 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-04-05 02:52 PM

imo, Pres Trump probably just wants to cut off a part of California's tourist revenue...

#2 | Posted by LampLighter

That's all Nat'l Park Service except, maybe, the concession for the ferry. He's taking money out of his own pocket because grandpa remembers hearing stories about Al Capone.

#11 | Posted by morris at 2026-04-05 03:06 PM

I'm more surprised he's not trying to rebuild the Naval bases in the Bay. Or rebuild the old forts on either side of the Golden Gate.

#12 | Posted by morris at 2026-04-05 03:08 PM

Give Old Yeller credit where it's due: the guy is an absolute genius when it comes to finding ways to waste - as in, incinerate - ginormous amounts of other people's money.

Thank you, Republican Party, for this example of what you mean by "the party of fiscal responsibility."

#13 | Posted by Doc_Sarvis at 2026-04-05 03:17 PM

Republicans hate taxes going to help the poor, loves taxes blowing up the poor.

#14 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-04-05 03:23 PM

One billion = One thousand millions.

Dummkopf Trumpf can easily pay for it himself.

#15 | Posted by C0RI0LANUS at 2026-04-05 03:27 PM

Republicans hate taxes going to help the poor, loves taxes blowing up the poor.

Democrats love taxes going to help their NGO's and SocialIndustrialComplex pump money back in to Democrat fundraising, making more poor and homeless is an unwritten goal.

NYC spent~ $82K a year on each homeless person, median income in America ~$81K.

$148Billion in MedicareFraud in CA. (imagine how much military equipment could have been left in Afghanistan?)

Yeah $152M to build a prison and put unemployed Californians back to work ... great idea. The funny thing is the way America doesn't put criminals behind bars, it will be empty.

#16 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-04-05 03:42 PM

Wrote so much to say absolutely nothing.

Truly moronic.

#17 | Posted by ClownShack at 2026-04-05 03:46 PM


If it were up to me, that prison would be demolished and in its place would be a park, with kiosks for food and places to sit and picnic...a positive influence on the city, rather than an icon elevating the lives of those who have committed major crimes.

#7 | POSTED BY HUGHMASS

Angel Island already has that, its right there about 1 mile north..

There was talk about a hotel last Trump term..

#18 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-04-05 03:49 PM


Wrote so much to say absolutely nothing.
Truly moronic.
#17 | POSTED BY CLOWNSHACK

Its only nothing because you didn't receive any of the grift.

Which truly ironic coming from someone in LA.

#19 | Posted by oneironaut at 2026-04-05 03:50 PM

Like the ballroom space, perhaps he sees it as a place from which he can make believe he's running his game in exile.

#20 | Posted by Dbt2 at 2026-04-05 10:53 PM

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