Trump plans to resurrect Alcatraz to house violent criminals
The President of the USA, Donald Trump, announced on Sunday that he has instructed his administration to rebuild and reopen the prison on Alcatraz Island near San Francisco. Trump wants the prison, which was closed in 1963, to house the worst criminals.
"REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!" wrote Trump in a post on the Truth Social platform.
"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. 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," he added.
Trump announced that he has instructed the prison service, the FBI, and the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security to "reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ" to house "America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders."
"We will no longer be held hostage to criminals, thugs, and Judges that are afraid to do their job and allow us to remove criminals, who came into our Country illegally. The reopening of ALCATRAZ will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE," proclaimed the President.
The famous prison built on a small island in San Francisco Bay was closed in 1963, partly due to high maintenance costs, and it is today a tourist attraction and museum overseen by the National Park Service. The prison is known from many films and books and was home to dangerous criminals, one of whom was mafia boss Al Capone. As noted by the AP agency, during the 29 years of the prison's operation, 14 escape attempts were made, and almost all escapees were caught or killed.
Trump: "We have so many radicalised judges"
It is unclear how feasible Trump's demand is in practice, but the Bureau of Prisons stated that it intends to comply with all presidential orders. The President himself later told reporters that it was "just an idea he came up with" due to resistance from judges blocking his attempts at mass deportations.
Donald Trump claimed that there are numerous judges with extreme views who are pushing to put every undocumented immigrant on trial.
