Trump seeks $152 million to reopen Alcatraz as a prison

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump proposed restoring Alcatraz to a “state-of-the-art secure prison facility” in his 2027 budget released Friday.

Trump wants to allocate $152 million to cover the first year of the project’s costs. The request is included in a $1.7 billion proposal to invest in U.S. prisons and hire more correctional officers.

The president’s annual budget is considered a reflection of the administration’s values and does not carry the force of law. The massive document typically highlights an administration’s priorities, but Congress, which handles federal spending issues, is free to reject it and often does.

This year’s White House document is intended to provide a road map from the president to Congress as lawmakers build their own budgets and annual appropriations bills to keep the government funded.

U.S. Penitentiary Alcatraz, which closed in 1963, was maximum security prison with famous prisoners including Al Capone and Robert Stroud. More than 1,500 prisoners were incarcerated at “The Rock” during the prison’s 29 years of operation.

Today, Alcatraz Island, located in San Francisco Bay, is operated by the National Park Service. About 1.2 million people visit the island each year.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.