White House Proposes $152 Million to Rebuild Alcatraz Prison

The White House has proposed allocating $152 million in the fiscal year 2027 budget to begin rebuilding Alcatraz Island as a modern federal prison facility, reviving President Donald Trump's year-old idea to repurpose the historic site off the coast of San Francisco.

The funding request, detailed in the administration's budget outline released on April 3, 2026, targets the Federal Bureau of Prisons for the first-year costs of transforming the shuttered prison into a secure facility capable of housing violent offenders. Alcatraz, which operated as a federal penitentiary from 1934 until its closure in 1963, was known for its isolation amid the frigid waters and strong currents of San Francisco Bay, making escape nearly impossible. During its active years, it held up to 336 inmates, including notorious figures such as Al Capone and James "Whitey" Bulger. No successful escapes were officially recorded, though five prisoners remain listed as missing and presumed drowned.

Trump first publicly advocated for the reopening in May 2025 via a social media post, directing the Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice, and other agencies to pursue a "substantially enlarged and rebuilt"...