Alcatraz Prison, in the San Francisco Bay, is surrounded by freezing waters and razor sharp rocks, making it the most inescapable prison in America. In 1775, a Spanish explorer Juan Manuel De Ayla named the small island La Isla De Los Alcatraces. It translates to “Island of the Pelicans” (Welcome to Alcatraz). This island is a twelve acre rock in the San Francisco Bay, the largest natural harbor in the world (Fuller,8). Because Alcatraz is surrounded by ice cold waters and dangerous currents, it was soon to be considered a perfect location for holding prisoners (Welcome to Alcatraz). “The Rock” opened for the first time as a federal prison in 1934 (Alcatraz Prison).
The first warden on Alcatraz was James A. Johnston, he started on July 1, 1934 (Fuller, 12) On the island, of course there were many rules to go by. First, there were no visitors accepted within the first three months of living on the island (Welcome to Alcatraz). Enforcing the rule of no talking was apart of their psychological punishment. The prisoners were locked in their cells for over half the day, fourteen hours a day (Oliver, 53). Hygiene was very strict. Each inmate was to shave 3 times weekly (Fuller, 11). No prisoners were allowed to visit their cells during the day. Inmates also worked as servants for families that lived on the island (Welcome to Alcatraz). These prisoners were granted with an excellent kitchen ( Welcome to Alcatraz). They were able to get as much of what they like, but no food could be thrown away. If you wasted your food, you were not allowed to have the next meal (Welcome to Alcatraz). If prisoners went against these rules, some of their punishments were they had to wear ball and chain, the would have to do manual labor, and go...
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...everything on Alcatraz had to be imported, food, clothes, prisoners, and other goods was very expensive. It cost twenty-six thousand dollars to me Alcatraz Prison inescapable ( Oliver, 53). As they exported all the prisoners from Alcatraz and sent them off to other prisons they wondered what to do with the island (Presnall, 93). Years went by and different suggestions for what America should use the island for. Some thought it should be used for a nudist colony, some thought their should be a Statue of Liberty for the western United States, or maybe a park for America’s space program ( Presnall, 93). But, all were rejected by the government (Presnall, 43). In 1973, Alcatraz Island was opened to the public as a tourist attraction ( Alcatraz Prison). Today, over one million people come to the San Francisco Bay to tour the said to be haunted island ( Alcatraz Prison).
Andersonville, officially named Camp Sumter, was the most infamous Confederate prison during the Civil War (Davis 350; Reeder 140). The camp first opened in February 1864 close to the village of Andersonville in Sumter County, Georgia. Due to a food shortage at the compound in Richmond, Virginia, caused by an overflow of war prisoners, the Confederate officials decided to build a new prison in southwest Georgia (Turner 161, 162). The first prisoners arrived to an open expansion of sixteen acres, later increased to twenty-six acres, surrounded by a fifteen-foot tall fence (Davis 351). The conditions of this prison were truly horrendous because the prisoners were not provided with any form of soap, clothing, or shelter (Reeder 141). Andersonville was notorious for their ill treatment, lack of nutrition and protection, and harsh security along with their cruel wardens (Turner 161).
The first inmate to enter Kingston Penitentiary was Mathew Tavender who was sentenced to serve three years for grand larceny. He was placed in cell number four and was put two work as a stonecutter two days later. He was whipped on August 30, 1835 which was three months after his arrival, along with inmate number two, John Hamilton.
When envisioning a prison, one often conceptualizes a grisly scene of hardened rapists and murderers wandering aimlessly down the darkened halls of Alcatraz, as opposed to a pleasant facility catering to the needs of troubled souls. Prisons have long been a source of punishment for inmates in America and the debate continues as to whether or not an overhaul of the US prison system should occur. Such an overhaul would readjust the focuses of prison to rehabilitation and incarceration of inmates instead of the current focuses of punishment and incarceration. Altering the goal of the entire state and federal prison system for the purpose of rehabilitation is an unrealistic objective, however. Rehabilitation should not be the main purpose of prison because there are outlying factors that negatively affect the success of rehabilitation programs and such programs would be too costly for prisons currently struggling to accommodate additional inmate needs.
When people talk about Alcatraz, they usually remember it is an island with a prison on it, but many do not know what is included inside the prison. Two common places inmates were in most of the time were either the dining hall, where the prisoners and staff would eat their meals, or a library in which inmates could check out books and magazines. The Models Industries Building contained a laundry facility, and the New Industries Building contained a clothing factory, dry cleaning plant, furniture plant, and a brush factory where prisoners could work and earn money. Prisoners had the chance to make items such as gloves, furniture mats, and army uniforms. Military officers were found in the dining hall since that was where they ate their meals, but they were also found in the other places as well. Former Military Chapel was a small building, where the ground floor had quarters for the officers and their families who worked at the prison. In 1920, when the building was first built, the top floor of the building was used as a school and chapel, but in 1934 when Alcatraz became a Federal Penitentiary, the building became a Bachelor Quarters for unmarried officers. Later on, the officers and their families eventually stayed in Building 64 which was a three story apartment building. The best part of living in the prison for
Being a prisoner has more restrictions than one may believe. Prisoners are told when they should participate in daily activities and what they are allowed to say or do on a daily basis. This is not a life anyone is determined to experience during any period of time. However, all though for most prison life is just a depiction in a movie or on television, it is a reality for many. Their crimes and behaviors brought them into a world of being stripped of their freedom. Those who oversee the prisoners must control order within the brick walls. An article discussing the duties of a prison officer, defines it as one who “...has responsibility for the security, supervision, training and rehabilitation of people committed to prison by the courts”
The two main problems associated with supermax prisons are the conditions and the transfer procedures/criteria (Pollock, 2010). Pelican Island in California was a target of a court case, Madrid v. Gomez, 889 F.Supp 1146 (N.D. Cal.... ... middle of paper ... ... In addition, it does not seem to have made a difference in positively affecting the rate of violence.
The description of Alcatraz is sinister and quite mysterious. Many people describe it as a haunted attraction,
"During the early 20th century, inmate labor fueled the construction of a new cell house (the 600-cell structure still stands today) on Alcatraz, along with a hospital, mess hall and other prison buildings" (Alcatraz). In 1912, the new added on Alcatraz prison was the biggest reinforced concrete building in the world. The U.S. army wanted Alcatraz to be a federal prison that could hold prisoners that were too dangerous to be held in other penitentiaries. The first maximum –security facility of Alcatraz officially opened on July 1, 1934. James A. Johnston from San Francisco, California was the first warden at Alcatraz from 1874-1954, he hired one guard for every three prisoners. "The Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) viewed Alcatraz as “the prison system’s prison,” a place where the most disruptive inmates could be sent to live under sparse conditions with few privileges in order to learn how to follow rules (at which point, they could be transferred to other federal prisons to complete their sentences)"
In the 1970s, prison was a dangerous place. Prison violence and the high numbers of disruptive inmates led prison authorities to seek new ways to control prisoners. At first, prison staff sought to minimize contact with prisoners by keeping them in their cells for a majority of the day. As time went on, the prison authorities began to brainstorm the idea of having entire prisons dedicated to using these kind of procedures to control the most violent and disruptive inmates. By 1984, many states began construction on super-maximum prisons. In California, two supermax facilities were built by the state: Corcoran State Prison in 1988, and then Pelican Bay in 1989. The federal government soon followed suit and in 1994, the “first federal supermax opened, in Florence, Colorado.” It was not much longer before supermax prisons could be seen all over the country (Abramsky). In Wisconsin’s supermax facility, with similar conditions being found in a majority of supermaxes, there are “100-cell housing units” that are in groups of 25 cells. These cells all face a secured central area. Technology plays a major role in keeping the facility to the highest security standards. Every cell’s doors are controlled remotely and the cells include “video surveillance, motion detection and exterior lighting” (Berge). With these technological securities, there are also procedural precautions. Inmates are kept in their cells for 23 hours a day until their sentences are done. This is said to be for prisoner and staff safety, although some feel otherwise. In 2001, 600 inmates at Pelican Bay went on a hunger strike, demanding reform. Those on hunger strike believed that the isolation and deprivation they faced was against their Eighth Amendment rights. ...
The very first sentence of the essay describes how the island is covered in flowers. Didion could have opened with a description of what Alcatraz once looked like, or of the prison’s current state. Opening with a beautiful description sets the stage for an optimistic view of Alcatraz. Didion later describes the prison itself by saying “any child could imagine a prison more like a prison than Alcatraz looks.” Didion describes Alcatraz as almost pitiful, with the way it has aged over the years. She is once again downplaying the usual feelings associated with the island. Later, Didion describes the prison nostalgically to further show how it is no longer what it once was. For example, she describes the cells in one of which was “a calendar, the months penciled in the wall with the days scratched off…of some unnumbered
today’s first private prisons. Initially being built to reduce overcrowding and cut cost from the regular
During the early half of the 19th century, there were two new models of prisons being built in the United States. Along with the new styles of prisons being constructed, two new styles of correctional systems were developed, the Pennsylvania system, and the Auburn, New York system (Mays & Winfree, 2009). Although the designs of the actual prisons were dramatically different, both systems shared similar ideals, with regards to how inmates should spend their days. Ultimately, the Auburn system prevailed as the more popular system of corrections in the United States, with some of the system’s correctional philosophies being used well into the 20th century (Mays & Winfree, 2009). Before discussing the actual philosophies, which were used to manage the inmates in each system, we should first look at the difference in the design of the prisons used in each system.
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 what it is now. California is now one of the most populated states and it was mostly the gold rush that brought attention to California. As the government saw all of this happening, they realized that California was much more important than they ever realized. In their realization, they decided that California must be protected. San Francisco has one of the largest bays in all of California, and so this was where enemy countries would most likely to try to invade the country. So this is where Alcatraz was to lie, to serve as a military fort. It was supposed to serve as a secondary base in companionship to another base located on the other side of Golden Gate Bridge. But with severe problems trying to build this other base, Alcatraz was to remain alone. "Out in the middle of the San Francisco Bay, the island of Alcatraz is definitely a world unto itself. Isolation is just one of the many constants of island life for any inhabitant on Alcatraz Island. It is the most reoccurring theme in the unfolding history of Alcatraz Island. Alcatraz Island is one of Golden Gate National Recreation Area's most popular destinations, offering a close-up look at a historic and infamous federal prison long off-limits to the public. Visitors to the island can not only explore the remnants of the prison, but learn of the American occupation of 1969 - 1971, early military fortifications and the West Coast's first and oldest operating lighthouse. These structures stand among the island's many natural features - gardens, tidepools, bird nests, and bay views beyond compare." (1) Fortress Alcatraz ran in operation from 1850 - 1933. It served as San Fr...
Longitudinal research has been conducted comparing the rate of violence in male and female prisons. It is important to do research on this topic because it does not only lead to the conclusion of where is violence prevalent, but focuses on other aspects as well. It focuses on the psychological, social, and sexual side of the inmate. This topic does not only focus on who has the highest rates of violence, but why does that sex have a higher rate. This topic looks deeper at the differences between male and female inmates and what causes them to have high rates of violence. Most people would say that male prisons have a higher rate of violence due to biological reasons. People tend to think that males are more aggressive therefore violence is prevalent in male prisons, yet there is a lot more to this idea.
Most people have no idea what it feels like to be in prison, statistically only one out of every five people will know what its like to be in prison. Approximately 1.4 million people out of the U.S.’s 280 million people are in prison. (Thomas, 2) The only reason people know about prisons is because of the media. The news, movies, and books all contribute to people's stereotypes about prisons. Prisoners receive three meals a day, workout facilities, a library, as well as other things. People are also given the idea, through the mass media, that prisoners are free to walk around certain parts of the prison. All of these ideas are cast upon prisons so that people will not be afraid of them. Society has been given the idea that prisons are not very bad on the inside. What is prison life really like?