If I said: It’s the site of the first lighthouse on the West Coast and was once a fortress, would you know what famous California landmark I was referring to?
Now, what if I included the following details: It has been the subject of numerous books, movies, and much speculation. Al Capone was one of its first “guests.” Burt Lancaster starred in a movie that was set, in part, here.
Naturally, I’m talking about Alcatraz Island or The Rock as it’s also known. Over a million visitors go to Alcatraz annually, but few arrive knowing the island’s complete history. I was one of the people surprised to learn that Alcatraz was more than a former federal penitentiary.
Alcatraz was initially a military prison. During the Civil War, Confederate sympathizers and persons accused of treason were held here. In the late 1890s, nineteen Hopi men were incarcerated for resisting laws intended to wipe out their culture.
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Alcatraz was considered the “prison system’s prison,” a secure facility where dangerous felons could be housed. The Rock’s notorious prisoners included Al Capone and Robert Stroud (whom Burt Lancaster played in the Birdman of Alcatraz).
The Rock has the distinction, albeit contested, of being the only prison that no one has ever successfully escaped from. In 1963, three inmates escaped from Alcatraz. The men were never seen again and prison officials claimed that the men died in the cold waters of the San Francisco Bay. The families of the prisoners, however, claimed that they survived.
A visit to Alcatraz will demonstrate the difficulty of escape and the complexities of the plot to do so. You’ll be able to view the paper mache heads, constructed from toilet paper and cement mix, the escapees put in their beds to fool the guards into believing that they were in their
While you may have heard of, “The Birdman of Alcatraz,” aka Robert Stroud, another popular Alcatraz inmate. He was probably the most famous inmate to reside on Alcatraz. In 1909, Stroud brutally murdered a bartender when he failed to pay the girl Stroud was pimping for. He shot the bartender to death and took the wallet for the prostitute. Stroud was convicted of manslaughter and sent to McNeil Island in 1911. At McNeil Island, he was noted to be violent and difficult to manage. Robert Stroud viciously assaulted a hospital orderly and even stabbed a fellow inmate. As a result of his hostility, he was sentenced an additional six months. Stroud was moved to Leavenworth Federal Penitentiary in Kansas because of overcrowding and
Indians first used the Island of Alcatraz as a place where non-abiding citizens were sent after violating tribal law. Sending people to the island was the only way for Indians to get rid of unwanted troublemakers who did not follow guidelines. Later, the island served the same purpose for non-Indian authorities; the prison was used to incarcerate criminals that were not wanted by other prison systems due to the high threat they posed to
Alcatraz is located off the shore of the San Francisco Bay. Alcatraz was a federal prison from 1934-1963. This federal prison house some of the most dangerous and difficult felons in it’s years of operation. Before Alcatraz was a federal prison it was used as a military prison. Many believed this was the perfect place to have a prison due to the fact that no inmater would be able to successfully escape by swimming, because of the cold, rigid, shark infested waters. In 1963 the prison shut down due to the operating expenses.
Alcatraz was finally running in business, and all the worst prisoners were being sent there. All the inmates had a quick idea on how cummings was running Alcatraz. You couldn’t talk or you would be sent to the “hole” for a couple of weeks. The hole is “isolation”. Al Capone [the most famous gangster] was sent for the for a lot of times. And he went crazy because he kept making and remaking his bed. There was many escape attempts at alcatraz but none of them were successful. Two of them were reported missing.
Whenever the infamous Alcatraz federal penitentiary is brought up in conversation, the first thoughts that usually come to mind are either their well known impeccable security, harsh treatments, or great escape of 1962. Alcatraz, “The Rock” is almost explicitly known for its’ inescapable walls, with countless attempted and failed attempts, and one believed success. Whether or not the men who escaped from their cold, dark cells that fateful night survived or perished in the frigid waters off of the San Francisco bay has been a great debate, even well after the prison's closing in March of 1963, less than a year after the great escape. It is a common misconception that the men who escaped made it across the bay to freedom. Regardless of their
Alcatraz Island has quite a distinct history. Many people know that Alcatraz served as a federal prison, but most are reluctant to know that this island served as fort. Built before the Civil War, it served two main purposes. First, that it was to guard the San Francisco bay area from enemy ships against a foreign invasion, and second, to hold hostage prisoners of war or POW's as they were called. In this report, I'll show you how this fortress came to be a federal prison, why it is no longer in operation today, and most importantly, to show why it was built in the first place. When the great "Gold Rush" of 1849 first started, California grew from what would be considered a small, unpopulated state, into
This famous prison known as “The Rock” constructed in an island surrounded by bone chilling water, located off the coast of the San Francisco bay, just over a mile from the city was made in attempts to make escapes much more hazardous. For many decades, “The Rock” served as a powerful fortress, military prison and a federal prison, housing the most dangerous criminals of the latter half of the 20th century, in some way separating the evil from the civilian population, employing prison guards known to be the toughest and extremists in the country. Alcatraz initiated in 1934 became the first federal prison in the history of the United States with the highest maximum-security system active until 1963. Being full of myths and history that today
People say that Alcatraz was the most feared prison in America. Alcatraz was a prison island that way very secure and was surrounded by dangerous waters. Frank Morris and the Algin brothers died escaping Alcatraz.
Alcatraz Island or also known as “The Rock” for being located in the middle of the San Francisco Bay was a federal maximum-security prison operating from 1934 to 1963. Alcatraz housed some of America’s most dangerous criminals and mobsters during its time period. In fact, according to the Article “Alcatraz” by History.com “Among those who served time at the maximum-security facility was the notorious gangster Al “Scarface” Capone (1899-1947) and murderer Robert “Birdman of Alcatraz” Stroud (1890- 1963)”. Although, Alcatraz Island is one of the most well-known federal prison it was first used as a military prison during 1850-1933.
Alcatraz is a prison that is famous for holding the most notorious criminals in the United States of America. Alcatraz was a maximum security federal prison on a island on the coast of San Francisco in California. Those who were a danger to society were the ones that would be sent to Alcatraz to be isolated from society. The prison has made history and has affected our current prison system that we have now in the United States. Today the prison is no longer a prison, it is now a national park where many can visit and tour around the old facility.
The best and most authentic way to experience Alcatraz is through a Cellhouse Audio Tour. This incredibly realistic audio tour features stories from the actual men who served on the island as well as the correctional officers who oversaw the entire operation. Stories of cellhouse fights, prisoners favorite hobbies and even stories of escape attempts give you and even deeper understanding of what life was like in the prison. The tour guides you through the prison, giving the listener specific instructions on where to go and where to look during different aspects of the
For my research paper, I have chosen to research the history of Alcatraz. I chose this topic because over the summer my family went to San Francisco, California and we went to Alcatraz. While at Alcatraz, we got to meet an actual prisoner from Alcatraz, William G. Baker. There are three questions that I hope I can answer by the end of my research. First, I would like to know what life was like for the prisoners at Alcatraz and for the children that lived there. Then, I hope to answer how many escape attempts there were. Next, I want to find out if any prisoners survived the escape from Alcatraz. Finally, I want to know why the prison shut down. I do not expect to have any problems with this topic, there should be plenty of information out
A prisoner's life at Alcatraz was different and more strict than other prisons. The inmates were allowed out of their cells from 7:20 am until 5:30 pm also, the inmates may be searched at any time during the day. They also followed very strict rules. Here are some of the rules, no trading, gambling, selling, giving, or loading your personal property or government property to other inmates. Any loafing, loitering, visiting, or unauthorized absence from work will result in disciplinary action, and may result in loss of your job, and withholding of, or forfeiture of, good time. You are not allowed to have any kind of currency/money while you are inside the institution. Anything found on your person, or in your cell, or at your workplace, which was not officially issued to you, or officially approved and purchased by you, and
As the cold waters rush into the San Francisco Bay, they crash up against an island standing in the strait. This rock is hidden by the fog and isolated by the chilling waters of the Pacific that flow in and out every day. It has a gloom that hangs about its rocky face most know it as Alcatraz but the men who experienced this island, referred to her as “The Rock”. To the men confined there, it is not only the ultimate in isolation but the most ironic because they are there in the midst of the activity of a busy harbor with small craft darting to and from San Francisco, Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley, Richmond, and Sausalito; within sound of the honking horns of a ceaseless procession of automobiles crossing the bridges; within sight of ocean
C. As quoted in a report by the Bureau of Prisons, …”Alcatraz served an important purpose in taking the strain off the older and greatly overcrowded institutions… since it enabled us to move the smaller, closely guarded escape artists, the big-time racketeers… and those who needed protection from other groups…”