Image of Alcatraz
History
Lying in the center of the San Francisco Bay sits one of the United States most notorious federal penitentiaries to date. One of the aspects that made this prison so unique was that it was built on an island that was surround by relentless waters. Also known as “The Rock”, originally was created in 1859 as a Military Fort, because San Francisco was seen to be at risk of danger at the time of the Civil War. Later, Alcatraz became what we now know it to be as home to some of the most dangerous convicts at the time starting in 1934. The prison grounds were 25 acres in size, and had the ability of holding 450 prisoners at a given time. The land was equipped with functional cells that included a sink with running water, a toilet, and a cot bed. It was known that if you were an inmate at Alcatraz you were amongst the worst of the worst at the time.[1]
Overview of the layout of the prison
Block
The prison grounds of Alcatraz were broken up into four block, and each block told a story of its own about the inmates that resided there.
A-block
In this particular block there were no inmates held in this section of the grounds permanently. Inmates who spent time in this region of the island were consider sitting ducks, they were in most cases waiting to be transferred or for their court date. A feature that this particular block had was, a small barber shop.
B-block and C-block
These two blocks housed the same type of inmate, but were divided by a walk way that was referred to as “Broadway”. The inmates who resided here were your average inmate and this made up that largest population of inmates. There were around 340 combined in these blocks. The cells were about 5 feet by 9 feet in size.
D-block
This block is where Alcatraz’s most dangerous and defiant inmates were locked up. These cells were larger, but those who lived their endured 24/7 confinement.
San Francisco Bay Water
There are a lot of rumor that surround the water enclosing The Rock. It was said that if inmates did miraculously escape the prisons maximum security grounds, that they would never live to see land again. The island was 1.25 miles away from the San Francisco, and the conditions of the water were not ideal for swimming. The fear that was instilled in prisoners was the reason the swim would be impossible is because there were sharks lurking around the island. However, the real problem with the swim was the combination of distance, temperature of the water, and the strong current. The temperature of the water averages about 56 degrees Fahrenheit. [2] Makes the odd of inmates serving the swim questionable, due to the high possibility of hypothermia.
Image of George "Machine Gun" Kelly 
Image of Alvin Karpis
Image of Roy Gardner
Image of Al Capone
Image of Birdman
Famous Convicts
Al Capone: Inmate #85 was best known for known for heading the Italian mafia, bootlegging, and tax evasion. He found himself in a federal penitentiary in Atlanta where he was receiving special treatment with the Warden and was quickly transferred to Alcatraz, because they did not feel he would be treated differently there.[3]
George “Machine Gun” Kelly: Inmate #117 was arrested for bank robbery and the kidnapping of the wealthy Charles Urschel. He was arrested and imprisoned in a prison in Kansas. Here he made threats that he would escape and was transferred to Alcatraz as a precautionary measure. [3]
“The Birdman of Alcatraz”: Inmate #594 was charged with manslaughter after murdering a bartender who ripped off one of the prostitutes he was pimping. He spent his first years of imprisonment in Kansas. The reason for his transfer to Alcatraz was because he displayed violent behavior. During his time at Alcatraz he lived in the D-block.[3]
Roy Gardner: Inmate #110 was charged with robbery and sent to prison. Roy became famous for escaping a federal penitentiary in McNeil Island. After being recaptured he was sent to Alcatraz. [3]
Alvin Karpis: Inmate #325 was the inmate the Alcatraz housed for the longest amount of time. [3]
Image of one of the holes that they dug out of their cell walls
Left: Frank Morris, Middle: Clarence Anglin Right: John Anglin
Image of dummy heads
The Escape of Alcatraz
It is still a mystery as to whether or not there was any successful escapes from Alcatraz, but three men are arguable the only ones who may have succeeded. On the night of June 11, 1962 brother’s Clarence and John Anglin and Frank Morris acted out their strategically planned escape. There escape plan and root went like so, over an extended amount of time the three men created holes in their cells that would provide them access to the space about their cells blocks. Here they kept products that they had created to carry out their escape. For example, rafts made from old raincoats and dummy heads to make it appear as though they were still in bed when they escaped. The night of their departure the men climbed through the holes they created in their cells and moved up to their work space. There they cut a hole around the ceiling duct to gain access to the roof. Once they were on the roof the three men slid down a pipe line near the kitchen. There last obstacle was cutting through two barbed wire fences. It is assumed that they inflated their raft and sailed to land, but that has never been proven. The men have never been seen since.
Tourism
There are two tours that visitors have the option of choosing either the day tour or the night tour. You can expect that the tour will take around 2 and a half hours to complete. Each ticket comes with a ferry ride to and from, along with a 45-minute audio tour.
Prices:
Day Tour:
- Children: $31.00
- Adults: $45.25
- Seniors: $43.25
Night Tour:
- Children: $34.50
- Adults: $52.25
- Seniors: $49.25
Visiting times:
Day Tour:
Day tours are offered 7 days a week. The first ferry departs at 8:45am and the last is set to leave at 3:50 pm
Night Tour:
Night tours are offered Thursday’s- Monday’s. There are only two ferries that bring visitors to the prison grounds, those departure times are 5:55pm and 6:30pm. [4]
References:
"Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 16 Apr. 2017. Web. 23 Apr. 2017. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcatraz_Federal_Penitentiary>.
CurrentResults.com, Liz Osborn. "Average Ocean Water Temperatures at San Francisco." San Francisco CA Ocean Water Temperature - Current Results. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2017. <https://www.currentresults.com/Oceans/Temperature/san-francisco-average-water-temperature.php>.
Company, Ocean View Publishing. "Alcatraz - Quick Facts." Alcatraz Facts & Figures. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2017. <http://www.alcatrazhistory.com/factsnfig.htm>."Alcatraz Tickets |
Alcatraz Tours | Visit Alcatraz Island – AlcatrazIslandTickets.com." Alcatraz Island Tickets. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Apr. 2017. <http://www.alcatrazislandtickets.com/? gclid=CNm8qoKGmdMCFYlrfgodiRoKYQ>.
