Men Who Were Sent to Alcatraz

Alcatraz was obtained by the federal bureau of prisons in 1934; the bureau decided to open a “maximum security-minimum privilege prison [for housing America’s most rebellious and uncontrollable inmates- not necessarily those who committed the rather most reprehensible/egregious crimes]…to show the law-abiding public that the Federal Government was serious about stopping the rampant crime of the…1930s” (Alcatraz Origins 2). The location of the island was surely an ideal one, for it was an extreme factor in the maximum security of Alcatraz prison – the island was surrounded by freezing waters and isolated miles from any other land.

The Island of Alcatraz started construction in the 1850’s and in 1861 the first unlucky prisoners stepped onto the island. The island was now a fully functional high security prison. In 1868 the prison was designated for military convicts and soon the worst offenders were sentenced to life on the island. The island was surrounded by frigid waters and sharks in the bay helped prevent ideas of escape. Some escape plans were put into motion but none fully succeeded. Many convicts found that Alcatraz ended their career in crime, while some found that Alcatraz was the end of their lives. Although the prison was the most secure and safest place to keep these convicts, the prison was shut down in 1963, after over 100 years of service, due to high maintenance costs of bringing materials and sustaining human life on the island. Ever since the prison opened, unexplained occurrences have been reported and no explanation has ever been confirmed.

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

Many people would love to believe that Frank Morris and the two Anglin brothers lived through there escape from Alcatraz, but it cannot be proven. It has been fifty years since their escape and we still have no evidence as to whether or not they ever even lived. Alcatraz has become one of the most haunted places in America and was home to some of America's most notorious criminals. Some will choose to believe that the ghosts of Alcatraz exist, but others may not. So, why did Alcatraz shut down? How did the prisoners escape and are they alive?

military aggression and unjust U.S. government policies, the Native American occupations of Alcatraz Island set out to rein in nationwide attention to the unjust conditions inflicted on Native Americans in the past that continued to the present. The first occupation of Alcatraz Island occurred in 1963. Prior to the occupations, the U.S. had transitioned into Termination policy, seeking to resolve reservation poverty by relocating Native Americans from Indian reservations to cities. By the 1960s, over 60% of the 40,000 Native Americans in San Francisco were settled there as a result of federal work programs; while in cities, Native Americans continued to face poverty as they became exposed to the declining job market and lack of housing ("Native American Civil Rights”). In response to the Termination policy and overall poor living conditions on reservation land, six Lakota mean sought out to occupy the former San Francisco Bay prison. The group cited the Sioux Treaty of Fort Laramie in 1868, stating that "an abandoned federal facility must revert back to Indian ownership” ("Occupation of Alcatraz"). However, overall, the occupation received little attention from the media and federal government with both groups refusing to view the event as a sign of a serious issue brewing in America ("Occupation of Alcatraz"). While the occupation failed to produce immediate action, the event would prove not to be completely unsuccessful as it would set the foundation for the second and third occupations of Alcatraz Island in

1759 the first facility was built specifically for use as a jail. It was named New Goal.

...hole”. Other than the harsh conditions warden had on us a times life wasn’t bad at Alcatraz. Kelly’s cellmate said he would get depressed when he got mail from his family and that he regretted all the crimes he committed to get himself locked up here. I didn’t believe him till I got a job in the mail room. I constantly saw letters from Kelly sent to Urschel begging him to plead his case, I never saw a reply to Kelly’s letters.

The Yuma Territorial Prison has historical significance because it was the first place in Yuma to have amenities such as electricity and flushing toilets. The prison was a model prison for others in the future and the system handled its prisoners very well. The prison was made of adobe and rock, which probably made the prison cooler in the summer; that was something that the townspeople didn't have and they had to suffer when the prisoners were nice and cool. After a flood in 1916 the people of Yuma came to the prison to get different materials that they needed to rebuild the town. Another thing that the prison is a big part of history for is that the local high school needed a facility in which to hold class, so the classes were held in the prison hospital. Many parents were upset about this, but it did the job very well for them. All of the Yuma High School teams are named the “Criminals” because of the early association with the prison.

It was one of the toughest prisons of it time. There was nothing to do but stare at walls. It was mind dwindling. Nicknamed “The Rock,” Alcatraz was a place prisoners didn’t want to go. From the discovery of the island to the closing of the prison, Alcatraz has had a lot of action over the years. With a great warden that kept the place in check, “The Rock” stayed under control, even though Alcatraz held some of the worst criminals of its time. Has anyone escaped? Well, there were those three guys that went missing, but keep reading to find out about that. Alcatraz is one of the most famous prisons and can be visited by the public today.

The official day of opening of Alcatraz was in December of 1859 and it had two purposes, one of fortification and another of a prison. The prison was there for military members that committed various crimes. The prison had about 15 - 50 prisoners there, but they were not all military, some were local citizens and politicians who committed crimes of varying degrees. The idea of having a prison on an is...

From the very beginning, many of the Native Americans that arrived that first night were ill prepared for any type of extended stay at Alcatraz. They did not bring enough food or water, their clothing was inadequate for the cold weather and the dampness of the fog, they brought no medical supplies, and many did not bring anything to sleep on, such as a sleeping bag or a bedroll. Only a select few has actually planned for a stay of longer than a few days. The occupying group relied heavily on donations from celebrities, rock bands, and local politicians for support, food and water.

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

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...