Maddow Blog-Why Trump's push to reopen Alcatraz as a working prison is such a misguided idea

[LetMyPeopleVote]

When looking for evidence of Trump’s lack of seriousness on matters of public policy, look no further than his plan to reopen Alcatraz to actual prisoners.

Link to tweet

https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/maddowblog/reopening-alcatraz-working-prison-misguided-idea-rcna204796

When it comes to prisons, the White House’s recent focus has been on El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT). But as it turns out, that’s not the only notorious facility on the president’s mind. NBC News reported:

President Donald Trump said Sunday he will direct several federal agencies to “reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt Alcatraz,” a facility that for decades was a federal prison and is now a national park.

.....Let’s instead focus on why this is such a ridiculous idea.

Right off the bat, there is no practical need to start housing prisoners at Alcatraz. The United States already has maximum-security prisons for the nation’s “most ruthless and violent” felons. They’re in operation right now, and no one has ever escaped such a facility. (A few prisoners did, however, escape Alcatraz.).....

Except, that’s not what happened: Alcatraz was closed, not because federal officials were soft or eager to coddle felons, but because the place was falling apart. As a HuffPost report noted, “Those who tour the island in San Francisco Bay see facilities in various states of decay. The prison was crumbling even as it was still in operation, and the high cost of maintaining it was a key reason it was shuttered in 1963.”

When looking for evidence of Trump’s fundamental lack of seriousness on matters of public policy, keep this high on the list.

[customerserviceguy]

1. This is nothing more than

Trump yet again trying misdirection to keep the public's eyes off of what he really is doing.

[Klarkashton]

2. The whole idea is to grab attention and misdirect.

It will all be forgotten as soon as the next thing comes along.

[Prairie Gates]

6. Agree...there will never be an order and the whole thing will be forgotten by next weekend

If anyone brings it up, they'll be "looking into it very strongly." It's the usual bullshit.

[EarthAbides]

3. And the media...

falls for it ALL THE TIME!!

[Aristus]

4. You watch, within 24 hours, every Trumpster in this diseased country is going to start screaming to re-open Alcatraz.

They will undoubtedly be deaf to reason. Reasons like: It was costing the government too much money to keep open. It's in a really shitty spot for constructing a secure long-term detention facility. There are better, and less proportionally expensive, facilities already in operation.

Nope. They think life is a movie. Bang-bang, pew-pew "You coppers will never send me to Alcatraz, you hear!?"

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Alcatraz America?

Hey, here's a tidbit from Wikipedia:

"The main cellhouse was built incorporating some parts of Fort Alcatraz's citadel, a partially fortified barracks from 1859 that had come to be used as a jail during the Civil War for alleged Confederate sympathizers.[3] C. L. Weller, the Chairman of the State Democratic Committee and brother of California Governor John B. Weller, was one of the first prisoners housed there.[4]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcatraz_Federal_Penitentiary

Maybe he wants to use it for Democrats!