In 1962, a failed escape attempt from Alcatraz attracted the curious gaze of the public. Recently, President Trump expressed his intent to revitalize the former prison, with a vision to ‘incarcerate the world’s most menacing culprits, and ensure they remain remote from their potential victims.’ It was unclear how genuine the president’s intentions were, considering the United States already operates a maximum-security penitentiary in Florence, Colorado — likened often to an ‘Alcatraz in the mountains.’ This imposing facility is home to Zacarias Moussaoui, El Chapo, Eric Rudolph, and Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, subjected to conditions far more severe, desolate, and inescapable than anything Alcatraz ever presented.
Undeterred, the president reaffirmed his statement the next day, depicting Alcatraz as the epitome of powerful, uncompromising law enforcement. Across film and real reported accounts of unsuccessful breakouts, the prison holds a certain allure: ‘It encapsulates elements beautiful yet terrifying, robust yet tragic. It’s an eclectic mix that makes it intriguing.’ In his characteristic manner, Trump seemed drawn to Alcatraz’s enduring impact on the American psyche, the stronghold it represents: a relentless, publicly punishing version of justice.
Alcatraz may be a physical entity, but it has become so much more in the minds of the populace. It stands as a symbol, a concept embedded in the collective consciousness. Alcatraz has always harbored an element of fascination. Although ‘fascination’ seems an unusual term in connection to a maximum-security institution, the various cinematic and pop culture portrayals have imbued Alcatraz with a certain allure.
In spite of these imaginings, the feasibility of Trump’s plans remains doubtful. The forbidding costs, the deteriorating state of the infrastructure, and the myriad logistical complications make the proposition unfeasible. The locale does not possess its own freshwater supply. All life-sustaining resources – from potable water and food to the necessary fuel – would have to be transported via watercraft.
The infamous Alcatraz cellhouse, perched on hilly island cliffs amidst San Francisco Bay, was not initially meant to embody any symbolism. The principal structure was erected in the early 1900s as a facility for military prisoners detained during the Spanish-American War. Only after the Justice Department assumed control of the building in 1933 did it come to be perceived as ‘escape-proof.’
At the height of crime during the Prohibition-era, the Justice Department found itself in dire need of a high-security location to contain mobsters, bootleggers, kidnappers, and notorious escapees; individuals who proved too challenging for the state and regular federal prisons. Alcatraz was a less-than-perfect selection, given its obvious shortcomings, but the financial constraints of 1933 gave little room for choice.
The main edifice was already standing; it could be renovated to enhance its security measures without high costs. Adding to this, the intimidating ‘island prison’ concept held a historically entrenched position in public memory. This made the adaptation of Alcatraz a somewhat economical and practical solution for the times.