As WeeWeed pointed out this morning, President Trump has ordered the reopening of Alcatraz:

Tucker Carlson reports:

Donald Trump on Sunday ordered the reopening of Alcatraz, calling for the notorious prison and now historical landmark to be rebuilt larger and reopened to house the country’s most ruthless and violent criminals.

The facility, located on a 22-acre spit of rock off the coast of San Francisco, originally opened in 1934 but closed after 29 years. It housed inmates like Al Capone, James “Whitey” Bulger, and George “Machine Gun” Kelly.

As reported by SKY NEWS:

What is Alcatraz prison and did anyone ever escape?

Located on the island of Alcatraz in San Francisco Bay, just over a mile from the city, the prison dates back to the mid-19th century.

It features a three-story building with four main cell blocks as well as a lighthouse that looks out over the bay.

The strong currents around the island and cold waters made successful escape nearly impossible – though some did manage to survive the swim to shore.

[. . .]

Inside, prisoners were always in individual cells with a highly structured, monotonous daily routine designed to teach prisoners how to follow rules and regulations.

While on the island, inmates only had four rights: food, clothing, shelter and medical care. Everything else was considered a privilege that had to be earned, from working to sending letters to family members.

Despite its reputation and secure facilities, Alcatraz closed in March 1963 after 29 years of operation.

The reason? Cost.

The prison needed an estimated $3-5 million ($31-52m in today’s money) for restoration and maintenance work alone to keep the prison open.

It was also hugely expensive to run, costing more than three times more per day, per prisoner, than a facility in Atlanta.

Because Alcatraz prison is on an island, it had to be entirely supplied with food and fuel by boat. It didn’t even have a source of fresh water, so that had to be brought in too.

[. . .] A spokesperson for the Bureau of Prisons said in a statement that the agency “will comply with all Presidential Orders”.