Alcatraz prison

On May 4, former US President Donald Trump announced he had directed the government to reopen and expand Alcatraz prison.

Alcatraz, also known as “The Rock” and “Devil’s Island”, is a notorious former prison located on an island about 2 km offshore from San Francisco, spanning 22 acres.

The facility once held infamous criminals, including gangster Al Capone.

Originally, Alcatraz was a defence fort, later converted into a military prison.

In 1846, the US took control of Alcatraz Island when John C. Frémont purchased it from Francis Temple, a naturalised Mexican citizen, for the federal government.

Alcatraz ceased operating as a military prison in 1933 due to high maintenance costs.

After closure as a military facility, the US Department of Justice took over and turned it into a federal prison.

The prison officially closed in 1963 and has remained shut for over 60 years.