Alcatrazalso known as Rock Is an island in the San Francisco Bay. He is best known for the super-protected prison of the same name, where the most dangerous criminals were kept. Also, those prisoners who escaped from previous places of detention were brought here.
History of Alcatraz prison
The US government decided to build an army prison on Alcatraz for a number of reasons, including natural features. The island was in the center of a bay with icy water and strong currents. Thus, even if the prisoners managed to escape from prison, it was not possible for them to leave the island.
An interesting fact is that in the middle of the 19th century, prisoners of war were sent to Alcatraz. In 1912, a large 3-storey prison building was built, and 8 years later the building was almost completely filled with convicts.
The prison was distinguished by a high level of discipline, severity towards violators and severe punishments. At the same time, those prisoners of A'katras who were able to prove themselves on the good side were entitled to various privileges. For example, some were allowed to help with housework for families living on the island and even look after the children.
When some prisoners managed to escape, most of them had to surrender to the guards anyway. They simply physically could not swim across the bay with icy water. Those who decided to swim to the end died from hypothermia.
In the 1920s, conditions in Alcatraz became more humane. The prisoners were allowed to build a sports ground for practicing various sports. By the way, boxing matches between prisoners, which even law-abiding Americans came to see from the mainland, aroused great interest.
In the early 30s, Alcatraz received the status of a federal prison, where especially dangerous prisoners were still delivered. Here, even the most authoritative criminals could not in any way influence the administration, taking advantage of their position in the criminal world.
By that time, Alcatraz had undergone many changes: the gratings were reinforced, electricity was brought into the cells, and all service tunnels were blocked with stones. In addition, the security of movement of the guards was increased due to various designs.
In certain places, there were towers that allowed the guards to have an excellent view of the entire territory. An interesting fact is that in the prison canteen there were containers with tear gas (controlled remotely), which was intended to calm prisoners during mass fights.
There were 600 cells in the prison building, divided into 4 blocks and differing in the level of severity. These and many other security measures have created a reliable barrier for the most desperate fugitives.
Soon, the rules for serving time in Alcatraz changed significantly. Now, each convict was only in his own cell, with almost no chance of receiving privileges. All journalists were denied access here.
The famous gangster Al Capone, who was immediately "put in place", was serving his sentence here. For some time, the so-called "policy of silence" was practiced in Alcatraz, when prisoners were forbidden to make any sounds for a long time. Many criminals considered silence as the most severe punishment.
There were rumors that some of the convicts had lost their minds because of this rule. Later the "policy of silence" was canceled. The isolation wards deserve special attention, where the prisoners were completely naked and were content with a meager ration.
The offenders were kept in a cold isolation ward and in complete darkness from 1 to 2 days, while they were given a mattress only for the night. This was considered the strictest punishment for violations, which all prisoners feared.
Prison closure
In the spring of 1963, the prison on Alcatraz was closed due to the excessive costs of its maintenance. After 10 years, the island was opened to tourists. It is curious that about 1 million people visit it every year.
It is believed that during the 29 years of operation of the prison, not a single successful escape was organized, but since 5 prisoners who once escaped from Alcatraz could not find (neither alive nor dead), this fact is called into question. Throughout history, the prisoners managed to make 14 unsuccessful escape attempts.
