Trader consensus around a 96.8% probability against Alcatraz reopening as a federal prison by the end of 2026 stems from persistent structural, legal, and logistical barriers. The island remains under National Park Service control with active $63.6 million structural and seismic restoration work scheduled through 2028, including closures of key cellhouse areas. President Trump's April 2026 budget request for $152 million in initial Federal Bureau of Prisons funding for fiscal year 2027 has not advanced to enacted appropriations or triggered any transfer of jurisdiction from the Department of the Interior. Local San Francisco officials have voiced uniform opposition, citing tourism impacts and the site's status as a National Historic Landmark, while full environmental reviews, infrastructure rebuilds, and congressional action would require far longer timelines than remain in 2026. Realistic shifts could occur only through unexpected emergency executive or legislative overrides before December, though no such measures have materialized amid competing priorities.