The desire to keep our nation’s criminals behind bars has always been a priority for our safety. The president ignited discussion based on this desire by telling federal agencies to begin reopening Alcatraz and to move the worst offenders there.
Alcatraz Island, also known as “The Rock”, is home to the notorious federal prison a few miles away from the coast of San Francisco. The prison first opened back in the 30s and was well known for its maximum security and the high-level inmates it held. The prison eventually closed in the ’60s, due to the facilities’ deterioration and high costs. The island now stands as a popular tourist destination, but that might change with these new plans.
According to President Donald Trump, the purpose of reopening this famous prison is to separate the worst criminals from society and serve as a symbolic gesture of order and justice, which was also the prison’s original goal. There has been no set time for when this revision will take place, but it already has sparked debate in the government about the viability of this plan. The operational costs of keeping the prison active would still be a high price to pay, as many of the supplies and food needed would have to be shipped by boat. There are also some capacity issues that would make it difficult to relocate a large number of prisoners. Despite these problems, Trump is fixated on the potential that such a prison could have. In time, we will see if the prison will return to business like the old days.
