Donald Trump has ordered the infamous island prison Alcatraz to be reopened for "the dregs of society" in a strange social media rant. The US president took to his platform Truth Social to call for the former maximum security prison to house "America’s most ruthless and violent offenders". He 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.

"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. That’s the way it’s supposed to be. That is why, today, I am directing the Bureau of Prisons, together with the Department of Justice, FBI, and Homeland Security, to reopen a substantially enlarged and rebuilt ALCATRAZ, to house America’s most ruthless and violent offenders. The reopening of ALCATRAZ will serve as a symbol of Law, Order, and JUSTICE."

Alcatraz prison, also called The Rock, is located off the coast of San Francisco, with the main building being built in 1910–12 as a US Army military prison.

From 1934, it was adapted into a federal prison; the buildings were modernised and its security increased.

Alcatraz Island is surrounded by shark-infested waters and strong currents, leading prison operators to call it escape-proof and one of the most secure in the US.

However, in 1962, inmates Frank Morris and brothers Clarence and John Anglin managed to break free via ventilation ducts and an unguarded utility corridor.

They tricked guards by putting papier mache heads of themselves in their beds, making it appear that they were sleeping.

The FBI and local law enforcement pursued hundreds of leads, but there has been no conclusive evidence on the fate of the three men.

In 1979, the bureau concluded that they all drowned in the freezing waters around the prison. However, the US Marshals Service case file remains open, and the men remain on its wanted list.

Now, Alcatraz is operated as a tourist attraction, offering tours of the former prison and the island it sits on, either during the day or at night.