Alcatraz, infamous for its 1962 inmate escape, is back in headlines as President Trump proposed its reopening for the country's most dangerous criminals. This renewed focus highlights its symbolic significance to Trumpâs generation. However, experts argue Alcatraz was impractical as a penitentiary due to high operational costs and logistical challenges. Local author Jolene Babyak emphasized that the cost per inmate was exorbitant, suggesting the funds could have supported inmates in luxury accommodations instead. Additionally, the island's history includes its name's origins, meaning 'pelican' in a blend of languages, reflecting its avian past before becoming synonymous with incarceration.
"Alcatraz has a symbolic register, particularly for someone of Mr. Trump's generation," according to Dan Berger, a professor at the University of Washington, Bothell.
For the amount of money spent "they used to say you could put a man in the Waldorf Astoria - today it would be Trump Tower," she says.
It was expensive to operate and being an island, it was difficult to resupply. Food and water had to be brought in from the mainland.
Before the island was known for the Birdman of Alcatraz, it was known for its birds.
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