The return of Alcatraz? Good idea

Can President Trump make Alcatraz a prison again?It’s an intriguing idea.The president’s fiscal year 2027 budget proposal, sent to Congress on Friday, requested $152 million to restore the iconic lockup and return it to operation. The goal: to make Alcatraz a “state-of-the-art secure prison facility,” the budget plan said — a symbol of justice.The idea has promise, and Congress should give it due consideration.The president  shared his thinking in May in a post on X: “REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ! ….When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals … 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.”He has a point.

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By clicking above you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.Never miss a story Progressive politicians and prosecutors sympathize with criminals these days, letting perps walk free to victimize others, sometimes repeatedly. That’s wrong.

Trump knows it — and Alcatraz II would give the message an imposing exclamation point.For decades, the fortress caged the worst criminals in America, including Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, and Robert Stroud (the “Birdman of Alcatraz”). Gangers, killers, kidnappers — all contained in a 22-acre island prison patrolled by sharks.It was the stuff of legend.Restoring “The Rock” would tap that mystique and put today’s offenders on notice: One of these cells could be yours.Of course (because TDS), the usual suspects sneered at the idea.Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, whose district includes Alcatraz, posted on X last week: “Rebuilding Alcatraz into a modern prison is a stupid...