Latest news with #federalprison
Washington Post
3 days ago
- Washington Post
The online activists trying to stop ICE from making arrests
Two decades ago, Sherman Austin decided the life of an internet activist was no longer worth the trouble. He'd landed in federal prison at 20 years old after investigators found instructions on how to make a bomb on a website he hosted. After a year behind bars, Austin retired his self-taught coding skills. He found work as a low-voltage electrician in Long Beach, trained in mixed martial arts and started a family.
Fox News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
EXCLUSIVE: Trump administration eyes Alcatraz reopening to house nation's ‘worst of the worst'
EXCLUSIVE: Fox News was granted access to Alcatraz Island Thursday as U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum toured the infamous former prison in San Francisco at the direction of President Donald Trump. The visit was part of an official review to determine whether the site could be brought back into use as a high-security federal detention center. "This was an idea of the president," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt explained during a White House briefing Thursday in Washington, D.C. "He spoke about it in May and directed his administration to review a reopening plan for Alcatraz if it is possible." After Trump's May 5 announcement about reopening Alcatraz as a working prison, Bondi and Burgum joined Fox News correspondent David Spunt to visit "the Rock" to receive a briefing on the site and assess the 91-year-old former federal prison's infrastructure. The visit, which included walk-throughs of the main cell blocks and off-limits areas normally closed to the public, was a fact-finding mission and not an official announcement of reopening. Bondi and Burgum spent several hours inspecting the crumbling infrastructure while discussing the island's potential for future federal use. They toured the prison and surrounding island, met with National Park Service (NPS) officials and directed staff to collaborate on a preliminary plan to rehabilitate the complex. The island is managed by the NPS under the jurisdiction of the Department of the Interior. If reactivated, it would be operated by the Bureau of Prisons, a division of the Department of Justice (DOJ). "So many people remember Al Capone, but this isn't about the past. It's about what Alcatraz could be again," Spunt reported from the island. "They believe, along with their boss, the president, that this may be the symbol of law and order this administration is looking for." Alcatraz operated as a federal prison from 1934 to 1963, originally operating as a military prison in the 1850s. The name derives from "Alcatraces" after Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala's 1775 exploration mission of San Francisco Bay. While its etymology has inspired debate, the Bureau of Prisons contends it most likely means "pelican" or "strange bird."LEGAL EXPERTS SAY TRUMP CAN DEFINITELY REOPEN ALCATRAZ, BUT COULD FACE 'AVALANCHE OF LAWSUITS' Alcatraz as a federal prison had a maximum capacity of 336 inmates, plus over 150 staff members and their families. At its peak in the early 1960s, the prison's operating cost per inmate was over $10 per day, nearly double the national average, according to Bureau of Prisons data. "This is a terrific facility," Bondi said. "It needs a lot of work, but no one has been known to escape from Alcatraz and survive." Bondi told Fox News the prison could theoretically hold a range of offenders, including "violent criminals, federal predators and illegal aliens." She emphasized the symbolic value of its isolation and reputation for strict control. Burgum said the goal is to evaluate the feasibility of restoring Alcatraz to its original use. "It's a federal property. Its original use was a prison. We're here to take a look at whether it can serve that purpose again," he said. The island in San Franciso Bay poses serious logistical challenges. Alcatraz has no direct power or water lines from the California mainland more than a mile away, and over 1 million gallons of water per month were once ferried in. Restoration would also require major upgrades to meet modern codes, including ADA compliance, environmental regulations and approval from the Bureau of Prisons and federal courts. The DOJ this week sent letters to California sheriffs seeking information on undocumented migrants being released from state prisons. An administration official noted to Fox News Digital that while these letters reflect the DOJ's ongoing public safety mission, they are not directly related to the Alcatraz review. Not everyone is on board. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who represents San Francisco in Congress, called the initiative "the stupidest yet" from Trump. The administration has not announced a timeline for a decision. Bondi and Burgum will report their findings to the president before any formal steps are taken. After its closure in 1963 due to high costs and decaying infrastructure, Alcatraz reopened to the public in 1973 under the Department of the Interior. It is now one of the most visited national parks in the country, drawing more than 1.5 million tourists annually. That popularity could become a factor in any decision to return it to a secured corrections site. Alcatraz has long captured the American imagination. Between 1934 and 1963, 14 escape attempts involving 36 men were recorded, but the Bureau of Prisons maintains that no escapee ever made it to freedom. Officials believe that frigid, high currents may have claimed the lives of those who vanished. "This is Alcatraz," Burgum said. "The name still means something." The DOJ did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.
New York Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- New York Times
Trump's Plan to Reopen Alcatraz Appears to Move Forward With Officials' Visit
In early May, President Trump mused on social media that he wanted to reopen Alcatraz, now a tourist site in the San Francisco Bay, as a federal prison to 'house America's most ruthless and violent offenders' and remove criminals 'who came into our country illegally.' The seemingly off-the-cuff idea took a step forward on Thursday, as two prominent members of the administration, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Doug Burgum, the interior secretary, visited the island known as 'The Rock' to study whether the plan was feasible. It appears their answer was yes. 'Alcatraz could hold the worst of the worst,' Ms. Bondi told a Fox News reporter as she stood outside a rusting former prison cell. 'It could hold illegal aliens. It could hold anything.' 'This is a terrific facility,' she added. The pair were there for a tour of the island and to direct its staff to collaborate with them on reopening the decrepit museum as a federal prison, according to an email from a Justice Department spokeswoman. The visit took place before the public ferries to the island began running. Ms. Bondi and Mr. Burgum allowed only Fox News journalists to accompany them, and did not respond to other media outlets' questions until after the brief visit was over. The island, which is also a park and bird sanctuary, is run by the National Park Service. Under President Trump's plan, it would become part of the Bureau of Prisons under the Justice Department. It would operate as part of Mr. Trump's efforts to stop 'the invasion of illegal aliens after years of negligence from Democrats,' the Justice Department email continued. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Independent
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump administration plans to reopen notorious prison
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum are expected to visit Alcatraz on Thursday to announce plans to convert it back into a federal prison. The proposal to reopen Alcatraz as a high-security prison was initially put forward by Trump, who described the island as a "symbol of law and order." Bureau of Prisons officials have conducted initial assessments, noting that while the island is safe for visitors, some buildings are deteriorated, with restoration potentially exceeding $1 billion. The plan has faced significant criticism from state and local leaders, including Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, who labelled it Trump's "stupidest initiative yet," and San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie. Alcatraz, which closed in 1963 due to high operating costs, currently generates approximately $60 million annually from tourism and is a popular visitor attraction.
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The Independent
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Trump officials to announce bid to reopen Alcatraz as federal prison
Two senior Trump officials are expected to visit Alcatraz Thursday to announce plans to convert it back into a federal prison, which one Democrat called the president's "stupidest initiative yet." Attorney General Pam Bondi, who has been mired in controversy since the contentious release of the Epstein Files last week, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, are expected to visit the island in San Francisco Bay, according to Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi 's office. The White House hasn't confirmed the visit but a plane marked "United States of America" arrived in the Bay Area Wednesday night, accompanied by officials and a police-led motorcade. The Independent has contacted the White House for comment. Trump first proposed reopening Alcatraz as a prison in May, calling the island 'a sad symbol, but it's a symbol of law and order.' Bureau of Prisons officials subsequently visited the island at Trump's direction to evaluate the feasibility of reopening it as a high-security prison for violent offenders. Golden Gate National Recreation Area superintendent David Smith said the bureau had conducted initial assessments and planned to return for further structural evaluations. Alcatraz is safe for visitors and maintained by the National Park Service, but some buildings have deteriorated, and restoration could cost over $1 billion. Alcatraz, which once housed notorious inmates Al Capone, George "Machine Gun" Kelly, Robert Stroud (the "Birdman of Alcatraz"), and James "Whitey" Bulger, closed in 1963 due to high operating costs. It became part of the Golden Gate National Parks in 1972 and opened to the public the following year. Alcatraz generates around $60 million annually in tourism and has been featured in several films, including The Rock, Escape from Alcatraz, Birdman of Alcatraz, Murder in the First, Point Blank, and X-Men: The Last Stand. The idea of transforming Alcatraz back into a prison has attracted heavy criticism from state and local leaders. Pelosi called it Trump's "stupidest initiative yet." "It should concern us all that clearly the only intellectual resources the Administration has drawn upon for this foolish notion are decades-old fictional Hollywood movies,' her office said in a statement. San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie noted: 'There's no realistic plan to make Alcatraz reopen as anything other than a wonderful attraction than it currently is.' California Governor Gavin Newsom's Press Office added: "Pam Bondi will reopen Alcatraz the same day Trump lets her release the Epstein files. So... never." Charlie Hopkins, one of the last living Alcatraz inmates, told ABC7 New York that he doubts Trump actually wants to reopen the prison and was instead trying to draw attention to the crime rate. 'When I was on Alcatraz, a rat couldn't survive, ' Hopkins, now in his 90s, said.
