Are you a diligent follower of crime thrillers?Do you find yourself at the edge of your seat every time you watch ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’?If so, then this article is for you. We are suggesting you delve deeper into history and find parallels to fictional thrillers in the real world. Fiction, after all, is a manifestation of reality, although with certain artistic liberties. Escaping a prison, abhorrent conditions of the living, an unforgiving environment, and a community of criminals, are not references to your favorite shows but a grim description of one of the most famous federal prisons which is in San Francisco, Alcatraz.Located on Alcatraz Island, this federal prison started in the year 1840 for housing military prisoners but was later used to keep other dangerous prisoners as well. Compared to other federal prisons, this federal penitentiary was considered inescapable.Did you know that in the year 1969, a group of Native Americans claimed the land on behalf of American Indians of all tribes?Together we will enter the mysterious world of Alcatraz and uncover interesting facts about the prison for your knowledge. After you have understood if Alcatraz is still a prison, also check out facts about famous Illinoisans and famous girls in history. The History Of AlcatrazAlcatraz, a prison located on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, off the coast of California was a place to imprison a large number of military offenders at the time of the American Civil War.Alcatraz is named after the Spanish word for pelicans. Yet it is ironic that a place named after such harmless birds went on to become a synonym for incarceration, injustice, and everything harsh and cruel.In the year 1848, the Mexican-American War came to an end and California became a part of the United States. It was the time when the California Gold Rush began which led to the sudden growth of San Francisco.In 1850, President Fillmore, the then president of the United States, by an order reserved Alcatraz and the surrounding lands of San Francisco for public purposes.The US army began fortification and built a citadel at the top of the island. During its early years as a military prison, a fortress was constructed and some 100 cannons were installed to protect the bay.Alcatraz formed a triangle of defense with Fort Point and Lime Point. This triangle of defense was made to protect the entrance to the bay of San Francisco.During the Civil War in America in 1861, Confederate sympathizers were imprisoned in Fort Alcatraz. It served as the military prison for the Department of the Pacific during the Civil War.The Army demolished the Citadel in 1909. After demolition, the basement level was left which later became the foundation for a new military jail. Military convicts on Alcatraz built the new jail, which was known as the Pacific Branch, United States Disciplinary Barracks for the United States Army, from 1909 to 1911. This prison came to be known as ‘The Rock’ as a result of its location.Alcatraz Island was used by the US Army for a considerably long period of time. From 1850 until 1933, the US army made sufficient use of Alcatraz by way of fortification and imprisoning militants.In 1933, the island was transferred to the US Department of Justice and thus came under the direct control of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.The bureau used the island for its most incorrigible convicts. Such convicts were imprisoned in Alcatraz, a place which the federal government had decided to convert into a prison of maximum security and a minimum privilege penitentiary.The First Prisoner In AlcatrazWhere would you keep a group of the most dangerous prisoners? An ordinary prison is child’s play for them to escape. In 1934, this group of ‘most dangerous’ first prisoners was kept in the prison of Alcatraz.In this way, the first shipment of civilian prisoners arrived at the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary on August 11, 1934. After the transfer of the island to the Department of Justice, Alcatraz went on to become a home for notorious criminals which was immensely strict and completely escape-proof.Most of this shipment of prisoners were convicted for robbery, murder, or counterfeiting.Top Prisoners In AlcatrazThe island was home many famous prisoners. Interestingly, some prisoners even preferred to be transferred to Alcatraz due to its single-cell occupancy rule and high quality food.There were strict rules and regulations to follow. Except for a weekly excursion to the recreation yard, prisoners were confined to the cell block 24 hours a day, which meant solitary confinement without getting to talk to fellow inmates. One of the popular pastimes for prisoners was playing softball whenever they were permitted to play.Let’s take a look at some famous prisoners that were imprisoned at the Alcatraz prison.Robert Stroud, the Birdman of Alcatraz: The most famous prisoner ever to reside on Alcatraz arrived at the island in 1942 and spent the next 17 years of his life in isolation and suffering from severe illness. It was due to his deep interest in canaries that he was allowed to breed birds in prison, thus earning him the tag of Birdman. However, The Birdman was never allowed to keep birds with him at Alcatraz.Hopi prisoners: The American government wanted to impose American culture upon Hopis. The government coerced Indian children to go non-Indian schools away from home. While many sent their children to school out of sheer necessity to survive, those who refused to follow the principles of the government were imprisoned and sent to Alcatraz. 19 Hopi Indians were the largest group of Indians incarcerated on Alcatraz.Robert Lipscomb: An African-American activist, he was known for his fight against racial discrimination, and while in the prison he continued to advocate against the injustice of segregation.Al Capone: A notorious criminal, Al Capone was imprisoned at a place more inconspicuous than any other, Alcatraz. He was involved in crimes like bootlegging, prostitution, gambling, and murder, and his crime of tax evasion got him sentenced to four years of imprisonment at the Alcatraz Federal Prison.Machine Gun Kelly: His real name was George Kelly Barnes. He was mostly involved in offenses like bootlegging and robbery. Known for his big, boastful stories, he lived a rather uneventful life at Alcatraz. He worked as an altar boy in the prison chapel, did laundry, and spent a long time in the industry’s office as an administrator.Alcatraz Jail EscapesAlcatraz earned the status of a prison of maximum security and minimum privilege. The failure of several attempts to escape from the prison serves as a testimony to this fact.From 1934 until the time of its closure in 1963, a total of 14 separate escape attempts were made by 36 different men, although in vain. Every escape attempt met a destined result of failure followed by a brutal punishment of execution. A failed attempt of six prisoners led to the Battle of Alcatraz. Infuriated at the futile attempt of prisoners to escape, two of the surviving participants were executed in the gas chambers of San Francisco.Of the 36 men, 23 were caught, six were shot and killed while they were trying to escape, and two of them drowned and never made it to the mainland.This leaves five prisoners unaccounted for. They were participants of the June 11, 1962 escape of three prisoners: Clarence Anglin, John Anglin, and Frank Morris, and two accomplices who had placed dummy heads on their bed as a disguise.There is no concrete evidence to know whether these prisoners survived and succeeded in escaping or died while swimming from Alcatraz Island to the mainland. It is popularly said that those who managed to escape the prison did not succeed in escaping the man-eating sharks in the water. Thus it is presumed that they might have become lunch for these sharks. However, the truth is yet to be demystified. Their bodies were never recovered, thus giving rise to speculations of their presumed deaths.Even today, it remains the most popular story of Alcatraz that no one ever succeeded in escaping from Alcatraz.The Alcatraz Jail MovieThese fascinating and mysterious stories related to Alcatraz make it a significant part of popular culture.Some of the most memorable movies that are based on the Alcatraz island are listed below.‘The Rock’ (1996) - The Rock is a story of rogue commanders that take over the prison.‘Murder In The First’ (1995) - The story puts the prison on trial.‘Escape from Alcatraz’ (1979) - This movie is about the Anglin brothers and their mysterious escape.‘Birdman of Alcatraz’ - One of the most famous inmates of Alcatraz, this is the story of Robert Stroud.‘Point Blank’ (1967)- A crime thriller involving marital affairs and revenge.The Alcatraz MuseumAfter 29 years of operation, on March 21, 1963, Alcatraz was closed due to its heavy cost of maintenance and operation. To keep the prison operating, an estimated $3-5 million in restoration and maintenance work would have been required. It was a huge amount, making it costlier than any other federal prison.The Golden Gate National Recreation Area was established in 1972 by Congress, and Alcatraz Island was added to the new National Park Service unit. Open to the public since 1973, around 1.5 million people visit the island every year. Thus, it has emerged as a popular park service where one can take a complete tour of the island.Today, the history of Alcatraz can also be experienced through the Alcatraz East Crime Museum in Pigeon Forge. The museum has a variety of artifacts on display like Al Pacino’s machine gun, Al Capone’s rosary, the typewriter used in prison, Ted Bundy’s VW, and several such prized possessions of inmates of Alcatraz.Even today, Alcatraz Island and associated stories continue to fascinate people. Named after beautiful pelicans, Alcatraz Island is considered to be the ideal place for notorious criminals to teach them a lesson. The interest of people in these stories of incarceration and injustice makes it a part of popular culture which eventually has added an additional layer of mysteries and thrill to the place owing to people’s artistic liberties.A prison like Alcatraz may not survive the law of the land today since it would mean a stark violation of human rights but it is interesting to delve into history and draw parallels to your favorite TV shows.Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for Alcatraz, the most famous jail in San Francisco then why not take a look at famous girls in history or 21 most famous Illinoisans that will inspire you to achieve more.
Are you a diligent follower of crime thrillers?
