The White House has included a $152 million funding request in its proposed 2027 fiscal year budget to convert the historic Alcatraz island back into an operational prison facility, building on President Donald Trump’s previous announcement to revive the notorious correctional institution.
Friday’s budget proposal includes the funding request among other government spending measures, though congressional lawmakers typically view such presidential budget recommendations as advisory rather than mandatory.
The proposed allocation would provide the Federal Bureau of Prisons with initial funding needed to transform Alcatraz into what the budget describes as “a state-of-the-art secure prison facility.” The facility has operated under National Park Service management since shutting down as a prison in 1969.
Last May, Trump announced via social media his intention to instruct the Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice, and additional federal agencies to “reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders.”
The prison facility, which began operations in 1934, gained recognition as the nation’s most impenetrable correctional institution due to its island setting surrounded by freezing waters and powerful ocean currents. Officials never documented any successful prisoner escapes, although five inmates remain classified as “missing and presumed drowned.”
During its operational years, the facility held infamous criminals including organized crime boss Al Capone and notorious gangster James “Whitey” Bulger.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ official records, the decision to shut down Alcatraz stemmed from excessive operational expenses, with costs running approximately three times higher than any other federal correctional facility in the system.
