Announcement of President Donald Trump’s surprise during the weekend that he wanted to reopen and expand the famous Alcatraz Federal Correctional Institution in San Francisco Bay, attracted a new attention to the famous prison.
Alcatraz closed the door as a federal prison 60 years ago after accommodating some of the most famous criminals in America, including Al Capone and George “Machine Rifle” Kelly. For 29 years running as a federal correctional institution from 1934 to 1963, Alcatraz received a reputation as the last stop for prisoners who could not be controlled in other facilities, According to the prison bureau.
Federal Alcatraz Prison Island, known as “The Rock,” stands in the Bay of San Francisco, California, July 21, 1950.
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The eternal mystique on the island also attracted Hollywood, especially for the 1962 film “The Birdman of Alcatraz,” starring Burt Lancaster, and the 1996 action thriller “The Rock,” starring Sean Connery and Nicolas Cage. The production team recorded mostly “The Rock” in the location in the actual prison.
Apart from his scary reputation, Alcatraz was never described in Hollywood films. According to the prison bureau, the facility maintains a very small population, on average between 260 and 275 inmates – less than 1% of the federal prison population at that time. Some prisoners even asked for transfer to Alcatraz, attracted by conditions that included a single occupant cell.
One of the three levels of individual cell cells in the main block of the Alcatraz Federal Prison on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, California, March 15, 1956.
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What makes Alcatraz Unique is its strict regimen. Prisoners are given only four basic rights: food, clothing, residence and medical care. Everything else, from family visits to library access, must be obtained through good behavior.
This system is designed to teach compliance, with prisoners usually spend five years on the island before being transferred back to other facilities, according to BOP.
Isolation in prison in San Francisco Bay contributes to his mysticism, especially regarding escape efforts. During his operational history, 36 men tried to escape in 14 separate incidents, according to the prison bureau. While no one has ever managed to escape, five prisoners remain “lost and considered drowning” to this day.
Contrary to popular beliefs, BOP said that human -eating sharks do not patrol the water around Alcatraz. The real challenge for prospective escape is the cold temperature of Bay (an average of 50 to 55 degrees Fahrenheit), strong current and a distance of 1.25 miles to the beach.
Alcatraz Island is photographed, May 4, 2025, in San Francisco Bay, Calif.
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According to national park servicesAlcatraz Island receives around 1.2 million visitors every year as a national park site, offers a former prison tour and serves as a symbol that encourages visitors to reflect on the problem of crime, punishment, and justice – themes that have reappeared in national conversations after Trump’s announcement.
The history of the island is beyond the prison period. Initially Fortified as a military installation in the 1850s, Alcatraz formed part of the San Francisco Bay coastal defense system and accommodated the first operational lighthouse of the West Coast, according to BOP.
Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala first named the island “Alcatraces” in 1775, according to BOP, which means “pelican” or “strange bird” – far from unpleasant reputation which was later obtained as the most famous federal pentitentier in America.