Trump orders reopening of notorious Alcatraz prison

President Trump says the famous island prison off San Francisco is to be reopened to house "ruthless and violent" offenders.

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In a message on his Truth Social site on Sunday, President Trump said that "for too long America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat criminal offenders".

The reopening of Alcatraz - once notorious as one of the US's toughest prisons - would serve as a "symbol of law, order, and justice," he said.

Leading Democrats said the proposal was "not a serious one". The maximum security facility, also known as The Rock, was closed in 1963 and it is currently operating as a successful tourist site.

"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," Trump wrote.