Featured Image Credit: Getty Images/Tasos Katopodis
Topics: Donald Trump, News, US News, Alcatraz
Gerrard Kaonga
Topics: Donald Trump, News, US News, Alcatraz
Donald Trump made the shock announcement that he wanted to reopen the famous Alcatraz prison but experts have warned this won’t be cheap.
The US president often takes to social media to announce his upcoming moves but one of his latest goals could cost the tax payer a hefty penny.
As part of his ‘tough on crime’ stance, he insisted that he was taking steps to ensure that the famed San Francisco prison, Alcatraz, could be reopened.
This is so, in Trump's words, it could home the most violent of US criminals.
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The prison - which housed some of the most notorious criminals - closed back in 1963 and part of the reason for that was because of it being too costly to maintain, compared to other federal prisons.
According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, it was estimated to cost almost three times as much to run than other facilities - likely because of its island location.
Writing on Truth Social on May 4, Trump said: “REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ! For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering.”
He continued: “When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm. That’s the way it’s supposed to be.
“No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets.”
However, Alcatraz historian John Martini spoke with KRON 4 and explained that this venture to open the long-closed prison wouldn’t be cheap.
He noted that a repair estimate came to $5 million the year before the prison closed which would be equal to about $52 million today.
In addition to the millions of dollars in repair costs, there has been no explanation from Trump as to why the prison wouldn’t run into the same expensive operation costs that it did in the 60s.
The historian explained: “It would be daunting, it would be astronomically expensive.
“You would have to add running water, sanitation, heating, electrical, its all gone, there is some electricity but not enough to run the island.
“To take Alcatraz back and turn it into an operational penitentiary, using the building that is there now, would make as much sense as taking Fort Sumter, putting it back together and arming it with missile loading cannons.”
Meanwhile, Democrat and former House speaker and Nancy Pelosi said the idea of reopening Alcatraz is 'not a serious one'.
Taking to Twitter, she wrote: “Alcatraz closed as a federal penitentiary more than sixty years ago. It is now a very popular national park and major tourist attraction.
“The President’s proposal is not a serious one.”