One of Alcatraz's last living inmates on Trump's plan to reopen prison

BBC News ^ | May 11, 2025 | By Madeline Halpert, Lily Jamali

[OKSooner]

Yes, thank you.

[italianquaker]

Who cares what this convict says

[coloradan]

The are plenty of deep state three letter agency traitors who could usefully fill Alcatraz.

[Laslo Fripp]

Wasn’t the OKC bomber executed?

[ansel12]

Nichols wasn’t “the” bomber, Timothy McVeigh was and was executed, Nichols was convicted of assisting and still lives.

[OldGoatCPO]

I am thinking of a high-tech, totally isolated prison in a solid Red State surrounded by Red States or on the new military reservation on the border where illegals can see it. Block concrete buildings capable of housing up to ten thousand people at a time. A sprawling air-conditioned tent city (like in Desert Storm) next to it, surrounded by row after row of razor wire and fences. Low-risk inmates who will face rapid deportation in the tent city, and criminals in the prison. Establish five to ten Administrative Courts in the prison, each running 24/6. Sundays and Federal holidays are off to rest the Judges. You would need 15 to 30 Administrative Immigration Judges rotating in and out to keep the flow of deportations. AIJs do not need a law degree. Provide major financial and retirement incentives for people with the required education or retired lawyers to work as an AIJ on a two-year contract.

The prison has to be run like a SuperMax. Make the idea of coming to the United States illegally unpleasant. They will still come for the work, but stiffer penalties for companies would reduce the number of jobs available. In most cases, illegals would willingly self-deport to try to return to work.

Imagine the town that would grow around the prison, the construction boom, and the income flowing into the area. Has to be a Red State with a conservative District and Appeals Court.

[ro_dreaming]

Guantanamo isn’t just symbolism. It’s a great location to keep terrorists in prison and not able to harm or murder anyone.

If they escape, they go into Cuba, not American suburbs.

[Carry_Okie]

I went to Google Earth and took a look. The dock actually has a sizable sunken boat along it that would have to be removed. Might have an interesting history. The roads have really tight hairpins to the main building to attain the altitude gain although they do loop around such that trucks could operate without turning around but I wouldn't be surprised if they had to back up parts of that hill.

It's a cool place (literally) for a prison though, as it is in full view of everybody on the east side of the City (I went to grade school with a full view overlooking it).

Aesthetically I like Trump's idea, but the upgrade wouldn't be cheap.

[x]

I meant that as a joke, but if you go to Wikpedia’s “June 1962 Alcatraz escape attempt” page, they summarize the reports and name a few television programs that have examined the question. The 2015 History Channel documentary entitled “Alcatraz: Search for the Truth” was probably what I saw, but once again, I wasn’t being that serious.

[OKSooner]

Thanks...

[dragnet2]

We can’t rebuild Alcatraz because it would just cost too much money. Yet the United States is able to rebuild entire countries of those who hate us.

[dfwgator]

I wonder what "Vicky" would think?

[No name given]

Unlike Xiden.

[OKSooner]

It would be poetic.

One is unconvinced of the practicalities, but OTOH people who live within view of it would point at it and say something like, "That's where ****i lives", or "That's where *****k lives" which would be pretty cool.

At the end of the day let the guys who would have to rebuild it have some say. It would seem that another really really secure prison in... oh just random say Louisiana, way far down in the swamps, would be an equal deterrent...

Or way up north. So long as it gets built and populated with DeepState criminals like ****i and *****k et al.

[UnwashedPeasant]

All high-security prisons are expensive, and Trump is a master of building things far cheaper than predicted by “experts.”

”avid Trump supporter”

This prisoner’s conversion is evidence that Alcatraz works for reforming hardened criminals.

[DIRTYSECRET]

**Trump at his best. Get the media to cover the point about law and order by suggesting something and then at the end of suggesting it say “We can do it or we can’t. Maybe a good idea. Maybe not.”**

It worked with JD. and illegal Haitians. First he brought up childless cat ladies-offensive. Then it was found out that Haitians were eating them-even more repulsive. The subject had changed.

[HereInTheHeartland]

“With modern technology, it will be redesigned and rebuilt to operate at a much lower cost.”

It would be super expensive to rebuild it.
Not a good way to spend tax payer money.
Much less expensive ways to build prison space.

I think everyone knows Trump isn’t serious about this .

[Mozzafiato]

"Back then, the sewage system went into the ocean," he added. "They'd have to come up with another way of handling that."

Does this guy think there are no restrooms on the island today with the thousands of tourists that visit? There has been an underwater pipeline that pumps the sewage to the mainland for treatment for decades from Alcatraz.

[mund1011]

93 years old and still has a working brain...good for him!

+++++++++++

So what you’re saying is - he is over qualified to be a donkey POTUS.

[Az Joe]

Huh? What was Guantanamo before the terrorists were there?