Trump’s plan to revive Alcatraz as supermax prison could cost $2 billion

18 July 2025 20:46

US President Donald Trump is considering an ambitious plan to convert Alcatraz Island back into a maximum-security federal prison — a move that could carry a price tag of up to $2 billion, according to administration sources who spoke to Axios.

Though the proposal has faced strong opposition from Democrats, sources say Trump remains determined to push forward with the idea. Administration officials have already visited the historic island in San Francisco Bay multiple times and begun preliminary cost assessments, Caliber.Az reports.

On July 17, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum toured Alcatraz. Bondi’s department oversees the Bureau of Prisons, which would operate the facility, while Burgum’s Interior Department, through the National Park Service, owns and manages the island — a popular tourist site since 1973.

While no final decision has been made, officials say three broad options are under discussion:

A “supermax” complex estimated to cost more than $2 billion. This plan would involve demolishing all existing structures on the island and starting from scratch.

A scaled-back prison facility costing roughly $1 billion that would not take over the entire island.

A third and least likely option: contracting private prison companies to build and manage the prison.

“We’re still in the early stages,” one administration official said. “We need a lot more study, a lot more specificity, before the president decides. But $2 billion might just be too much money for him.”

Another official noted the most expensive option may also be the least feasible due to the lengthy construction timeline — a factor that may deter the president, who is looking to complete major projects during his time in office.

Alcatraz, which housed some of the country’s most infamous criminals including Al Capone, operated as a federal prison for less than 30 years before closing in 1963 due to high costs and deteriorating infrastructure. The saltwater environment accelerated the decay of buildings, and supplies such as food and water had to be brought in by boat while waste was shipped out.

Environmental concerns have also been raised. Officials cited the presence of a robust whale population in the bay and expressed worries that increased boat traffic related to construction could disrupt the marine ecosystem.

Critics argue the project is unnecessary, noting the U.S. prison population has been declining for years and is expected to continue on that trajectory.

However, Trump’s interest appears to be driven more by symbolism than practicality, sources familiar with his thinking said. The cultural legacy of Alcatraz as a notoriously tough prison appeals to the president’s hardline stance on crime and immigration.

“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,” Trump wrote on May 4 on Truth Social. “That's the way it's supposed to be.”

“He likes it because it’s tough,” an adviser said.

Some officials see a potential connection to the administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement policies. Trump's “One Big Beautiful Bill” increased funding in that area and could potentially help finance the Alcatraz revival, should the plan move forward.

Democrats have been quick to condemn the proposal. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose district includes Alcatraz, issued a sharply worded statement: “The planned announcement to reopen Alcatraz as a federal penitentiary is the Trump administration's stupidest initiative yet.”

“It should concern us all that clearly the only intellectual resources the administration has drawn upon for this foolish notion are decades-old, fictional Hollywood movies,” she added.

Pelosi previously dismissed the idea as “not serious.” However, the site visit by Bondi and Burgum suggests the administration is taking it more seriously than initially believed.