It’s the infamous island prison that’s inspired many a Hollywood blockbuster, but it seems the doors of Alcatraz will once again be open to some of the United States’ most heinous criminals.
The jail, which is located two kilometres off the coast of San Francisco, closed in 1963 due to high operating costs.
But thanks to its history of notorious inmates – like Al Capone – and tales of their daring escape attempts, the island has since become a popular tourist destination.
US President Donald Trump announced his decision to reopen the jail in a post on Truth Social earlier this week.
“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,” Trump wrote.
“No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets.”
“That is why, today, I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt Alcatraz, to house America’s most ruthless and violent offenders.”
Who was the most feared man in Alcatraz?
The prison, which is also known as ‘The Rock’, has housed some of the most well-known criminals in history, including mob boss Al Capone, George ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly, Alvin Karpis and Arthur ‘Doc’ Barker.
Due to its location, it became known as America’s most secure prison, with little success in escaping.
How many prisoners died at Alcatraz?
According to the FBI, 36 men attempted 14 separate escapes. Nearly all were either caught or dead, with five prisoners still listed as “missing and presumed drowned”.
Did any prisoners escape from Alcatraz?
Alcatraz saw many daring escape attempts, but none more so than the 1962 attempt involving brothers John and Clarence Anglin and Frank Morris, which was dramatized in the 1979 hit movie, Escape from Alcatraz, starring Clint Eastwood.
The trio disappeared from their cells after reportedly using homemade drills to dig through their cell’s vent holes.
They even placed fake segments in walls and dummy heads, made with plaster and human hair, in their beds to help disguise their escape.
It’s believed the group then used building pipes to climb to their freedom and left the island on a raft fashioned from prison-issued raincoats. They have never been found.
Alcatraz has also been the subject of other movies, including the 1996 flick, The Rock, starring Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage, and most recently, Capone in 2020, and Resident Evil: Death Island in 2023.
While Alcatraz Island is now a designated National Historic Landmark, the Bureau of Prisons has confirmed that the agency “will comply with all Presidential Orders”.
Where to watch movies about Alcatraz?
- Escape from Alcatraz is streaming on Binge, Prime Video, and Apple TV
- The Rock is streaming on Prime Video, Disney+, and Apple TV
- Drain Alcatraz is streaming on Disney+
- Birdman of Alcatraz is streaming on Prime Video and Apple TV
- Capone is streaming on Prime Video and Apple TV
- Resident Evil: Death Island is streaming on Prime Video and Apple TV
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