EXCLUSIVE: Trump administration eyes Alcatraz reopening to house nation’s ‘worst of the worst’
PARTICULAR Fox News was granted access to Alcatraz Island Thursday as U S Attorney General Pam Bondi and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum toured the infamous former prison in San Francisco at the direction of President Donald Trump The visit was part of an official review to determine whether the site could be brought back into use as a high-security federal detention center This was an idea of the president White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt explained during a White House briefing Thursday in Washington D C He spoke about it in May and directed his administration to review a reopening plan for Alcatraz if it is workable TRUMP PUSHES TO REOPEN ALCATRAZ BUT PELOSI AND NEWSOM DISMISS IT AS A 'DISTRACTION'After Trump s May announcement about reopening Alcatraz as a working prison Bondi and Burgum joined Fox News correspondent David Spunt to visit the Rock to receive a briefing on the site and assess the -year-old former federal prison's infrastructure The visit which included walk-throughs of the main cell blocks and off-limits areas normally closed to the community was a fact-finding mission and not an official announcement of reopening Bondi and Burgum spent several hours inspecting the crumbling infrastructure while discussing the island s prospective for future federal use They toured the prison and surrounding island met with National Park Function NPS representatives and directed staff to collaborate on a preliminary plan to rehabilitate the complex The island is managed by the NPS under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior If reactivated it would be operated by the Bureau of Prisons a division of the Department of Justice DOJ So plenty of people remember Al Capone but this isn t about the past It s about what Alcatraz could be again Spunt communicated from the island They believe along with their boss the president that this may be the symbol of law and order this administration is looking for Alcatraz operated as a federal prison from to originally operating as a military prison in the s The name derives from Alcatraces after Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala's exploration mission of San Francisco Bay While its etymology has inspired debate the Bureau of Prisons contends it the bulk likely means pelican or strange bird LEGAL EXPERTS SAY TRUMP CAN DEFINITELY REOPEN ALCATRAZ BUT COULD FACE 'AVALANCHE OF LAWSUITS'Alcatraz as a federal prison had a maximum maximum of inmates plus over staff members and their families At its peak in the early s the prison s operating cost per inmate was over per day nearly double the national average according to Bureau of Prisons input This is a terrific facility Bondi declared It demands a lot of work but no one has been known to escape from Alcatraz and survive Bondi described Fox News the prison could theoretically hold a range of offenders including violent criminals federal predators and illegal aliens She emphasized the symbolic value of its isolation and reputation for strict control Burgum noted the goal is to evaluate the feasibility of restoring Alcatraz to its original use It s a federal property Its original use was a prison We re here to take a look at whether it can serve that purpose again he reported The island in San Franciso Bay poses serious logistical challenges Alcatraz has no direct power or water lines from the California mainland more than a mile away and over million gallons of water per month were once ferried in Restoration would also require major upgrades to meet modern codes including ADA compliance environmental regulations and approval from the Bureau of Prisons and federal courts The DOJ this week sent letters to California sheriffs seeking information on undocumented newcomers being distributed from state prisons An administration official noted to Fox News Digital that while these letters reflect the DOJ s ongoing masses safety mission they are not directly related to the Alcatraz review Not everyone is on board Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi who represents San Francisco in Congress called the initiative the stupidest yet from Trump The administration has not revealed a timeline for a decision Bondi and Burgum will document their findings to the president before any formal measures are taken After its closure in due to high costs and decaying infrastructure Alcatraz reopened to the population in under the Department of the Interior It is now one of the the greater part visited national parks in the country drawing more than million tourists annually That popularity could become a factor in any decision to return it to a secured corrections site Alcatraz has long captured the American imagination Between and escape attempts involving men were recorded but the Bureau of Prisons maintains that no escapee ever made it to freedom Functionaries believe that frigid high currents may have claimed the lives of those who vanished CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP This is Alcatraz Burgum announced The name still means something The DOJ did not instantly respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment
