It would take an enormous amount of money to make Alcatraz into a functioning prison, Professor Gabriel Jack Chin from the Davis School of Law at the University of California told the BBC.
The federal prison system is actually down about 25% from its peak population and “there are a lot of empty beds” in existing prisons, Chin said. “So its not clear if a new one is needed.”
Alcatraz has “a reputation as a tough prison” and Trump is trying to send a message that his administration will be tough on crime, Chin added.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat whose district includes Alcatraz, said the proposal was “not a serious one,” while the Democratic state senator for San Francisco, Scott Wiener, called the idea “deeply unhinged” in post on Instagram and “an attack on the rule of law.”
SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 