Located in San Francisco Bay, Alcatraz attracts visitors from around the world who tour its crumbling cell blocks, listen to stories from ex-inmates, and learn about infamous criminals once held there.
Closed in 1963 due to high costs and decay, the prison would need massive, expensive repairs to be usable.
Critics warn that converting the site back into a functioning jail would face steep legal, environmental, and community hurdles.
The island is protected by the National Park Service and is home to nesting seabirds and other wildlife.
