Alcatraz 2.0: Fmr. FBI agent floats ‘perfect’ new prison site that would scare even most hardened criminals

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Former FBI agent floats alternative to Trump’s revamped Alcatraz plan

Former FBI special agent Jonathan Gilliam told Fox News Digital he thinks Trump would be better off putting an Alcatraz-like prison on San Clemente Island.

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A former FBI agent floated an alternative location for President Donald Trump’s revamped Alcatraz prison, which he thinks would serve as a deterrence for even the worst criminals.

Trump called for the reopening of the notorious prison in a Truth Social post on Sunday evening. 

“REBUILD, AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!” Trump wrote. “For too long, America has been plagued by vicious, violent, and repeat Criminal Offenders, the dregs of society, who will never contribute anything other than Misery and Suffering.”

Trump directed several agencies, including the Bureau of Prisons, Department of Justice, FBI and Department of Homeland Security, to develop plans to reopen a “substantially enlarged and rebuilt” Alcatraz prison that would “house America’s most ruthless and violent Offenders.” He said the reopening of Alcatraz “will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE.”

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President Donald Trump wants to revamp and reopen Alcatraz Island. (Brandon Sloter/Getty Images)

Former FBI special agent Jonathan Gilliam told Fox News Digital he has an even better idea on where to build a prison that would serve as a deterrence for criminals.

“If you want to build a prison, forget about Alcatraz,” Gilliam said, pitching San Clemente Island in California as a possible location for the prison. 

San Clemente Island is primarily used by the U.S. Navy for several purposes, including training to become a Navy SEAL. The island is only accessible by boat and air, rendering it hard to reach for most people.

Gilliam said San Clemente Island is well-suited to host a prison similar to Alcatraz because of its size and distance from California’s coast, as it’s around 80 miles from San Diego.

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Shortly after takeoff in a Navy-chartered commuter plane, Jan K. Larson, director of natural resources, looks out on San Clemente Island. (Photo by Don Bartletti/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

“That is a perfect location that’s close enough and you could build a prison out there for same or less amount of money,” Gilliam said. “Just the isolation of it would send shock factors through the minds of a lot of these people. You would not want to go there because there’s nothing there.”

The former FBI special agent said there’s an unwritten rule that “nobody can hear you scream out there.”

Gilliam said he thinks Trump’s plan to reopen Alcatraz will send a message to criminals.

“I think the key to Alcatraz was always that it stood alone, you couldn’t escape it and the most hardened criminals were there. So it was a scary place to be,” he said. “And so I think as long as that stays with it, then it’ll serve as a deterrent, I would think.”

In his social media post, Trump said only the most serious criminals would be placed in a revamped Alcatraz.

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U.S. President Donald Trump walks toward members of the media prior to answering questions before boarding Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on April 29, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

“When we were a more serious Nation, in times past, we did not hesitate to lock up the most dangerous criminals, and keep them far away from anyone they could harm,” Trump added. “No longer will we tolerate these Serial Offenders who spread filth, bloodshed, and mayhem on our streets.”

Alcatraz was opened in 1934, but closed 29 years later in 1963. It’s now operated by the National Park Service, which operates tours of the infamous prison.

Fox News Digital’s Greg Wehner contributed to this report.

Adam Sabes is a writer for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to Adam.Sabes@fox.com and on Twitter @asabes10.