The Rock (Alcatraz Island)

Member Name: wiggglypufff

Product:	Alcatraz Island
Date:	02/06/01 (501 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Breathtaking views, Fascinating history

Disadvantages: Can be cold, windy, and foggy, Steep hills

Alcatraz is an island situated approximately one and a half miles from San Francisco Bay and I spent an afternoon there during my trip to California in October 1994.

The name Alcatraz derives from the islands original title 'La Isla de Los Alcatraces' which translates to 'The island of the Pelicans'. It was named, in the late 1700's, by a Spanish explorer, due to being inhabited solely by pelicans at that time.

Best known as home to America's most notorious federal penitentiary, Alcatraz Island has a vast and amazing history both before, during, and after this time.

In the 1840's, the island, previously home only to sea birds, was taken over by the US Army as it was an ideal location to set up a defence unit for the mainland of San Francisco. Building started in 1853 and by 1859 all fortifications had been completed. The civil war passed by without attack but Alcatraz had been prepared with over 300 soldiers at the ready.

Alcatraz became home to a Military prison in 1907. Soldiers sentenced to hard labour were ironically brought to the island to actually build the cellhouse that would later imprison them. Soil and plants for landscaping had to be brought in from the nearby Angel Island as Alcatraz itself was rock on which very little could grow naturally. By 1912 Alcatraz had the now infamous cellhouse, barracks, a general store and a new lighthouse in addition to the fortifications from 1859.

In 1933 Alcatraz became a Federal prison and was classed as maximum security. It’s main purpose was for the holding of criminals who were considered to be non-reformable under any other ‘normal‘ prison regime. Although the cellhouse had the capacity to hold 600 prisoners it was usually less than half full.

The best known of the many Alcatraz inmates were Al Capone, George Kelly and Robert Stroud. The latter, Stroud, was also known as The Birdman of Alcatraz. Contrary to po
pular belief, he never had any birds during his imprisonment at Alcatraz.

Stroud had been allowed to keep canaries at his previous prison (Leavenworth). He was a very intelligent man, and wrote two books based on his close study of the birds. It was also discovered he had been smuggling letters out in the bottom of the bird cages. On transfer to Alcatraz he lost the privilege of being allowed to keep any of his birds.

The inmates of Alcatraz were confined to their cells for sometimes 23hrs a day depending on behaviour. Good behaviour could earn some privileges such as being allowed to work, or go outside for recreation but those who broke the rules were sent to the solitary confinement cells on 'D Block'. The men who continually offended were sent to ’The Hole’, cells with solid steel doors and no light whatsoever, allowed out for just 10 minutes a week for a shower.

The food at Alcatraz was reputed to be the best in the Federal prison system. The reason for this was with so many prisoners together in a confined space, the likelihood of trouble breaking out was extremely high so good food was an incentive to keep the men even tempered. The library facility was one of the best in the system too.

Escape attempts were made during the 30 yrs Alcatraz was a Federal prison. It is claimed that no-one ever managed an escape but that is not entirely true. Three prisoners remain un-accounted for after ‘The Great Escape’ of June 11th 1962. Over a year of careful planning resulted in Frank Lee Morris, John William Anglin, and his brother Clarence Anglin getting off the island never to be seen again.

It is presumed they drowned in the icy waters and strong currents between the island and the mainland, although no bodies were ever found to back up this theory. Equally, no evidence has been ever been found to prove they did in fact make it successfully. Their fate may well never be known for sure. r>
In 1963 the prison closed. It was rumoured that the escape played a big part in this decision being made. Whether the men had survived or not, they had achieved what had always been thought of as the impossible, they had managed to get off the island.

Financial matters were the official reasons given though. The expense of running Alcatraz was more than twice that of other Federal prisons due to the transportation costs involved in getting supplies to the island. In addition to that, the buildings were becoming in need of major repairs which would have been very costly.

Alcatraz, in it's desolate state, was inhabited again in 1969 when American Indians claimed the island as their own. They hoped to create a centre for cultural and spiritual education but failed to do so and left in 1971.

The National Park Service took control of Alcatraz in 1972 and started allowing trips to Alcatraz for a small fee in order to raise money to restore and preserve the remains of nearly 150 yrs of American history.

You can visit Alcatraz by ferry from pier 41 and take a guided tour with one of the Park Rangers or wander around by yourself. Many of the buildings are unfortunately derelict now, and some areas are closed off to the public for safety reasons, but it is the aim of The National Park Service to eventually open up as much of the island as they can to allow further enjoyment.

The cellhouse is one of the few buildings still standing, and you can go in and walk around.
Cells of the infamous inmates are marked clearly, and display boards give information on various subjects such as escape attempts and rules and regulations during visits. Headsets are available for the audio tour which guides you around, ensuring your experience is maximised.

You can go out into the recreation area and it is there that the harsh realization of the mental torture sets in. To be confined in a cramped cell for the majority of
the day was punishment, but from outside you could actually see and hear the day to day life on the mainland. Knowing that you would probably never be part of that society again must have been as hard to bare as the physical pain.

The history of Alcatraz as an island is amazing, but as a Federal prison was a grim reality for many men. If you visit San Francisco I would highly recommend visiting Alcatraz as you are unlikely ever again to encounter such an experience as this one.

Things to remember.....

~ It is advisable to book your tickets in advance as this is a very popular attraction. You will get a time allocated ferry place for going out to the island but return is as and when you are ready (subject of course to the time of the last ferry back for the day, which you will be advised of).

~ Wear sensible shoes/trainers, as to maximize your experience you will be doing a large amount of walking, covering a lot of ground, some of which is hilly and rough.

~ However sunny it may be, wear (or at least take with you) some warm clothes. The San Francisco bay gets windy, and fog rolls in quite early in the day, the temperature can drop quite suddenly in the afternoon.

~ You can take a ranger guided tour of the island, this way you will see all the key features of Alcatraz and learn about it’s past, present and proposed future. If you go off on your own (which I did after the tour) remember to observe notices of off limit areas.

~ There are gift shops on the Island, so buy any Alcatraz merchandise you want from there. At least then you know of it’s authenticity and that the proceeds are being put back into the Island’s upkeep.

~ Take a camera and plenty of film. I used 3 rolls of film on Alcatraz alone, and my own photos undoubtedly made the best souvenirs of my holiday. On a clear day, the views from Alcatraz are breathtaking.