I had a guided tour of Alcatraz, and our guide was very knowledgeable about the history of Alcatraz Penitentiary. He was an excellent guide and said the worst thing for prisoners on Alcatraz was to hear the nightlife and people laughing and having a good time in San Francisco while they were stuck on the Rock.
I was impressed with the size of Alcatraz and its vast history over the years. Alcatraz has 104 years of prison history. It started as a military prison in 1859 and ended in 1963 when the last inmates left the Rock and Alcatraz to be transferred elsewhere. Remnants of each time frame can be seen today; the National Park Service has had a caretaker for the island since 1972. The water in San Francisco Bay is only 58 degrees. Escaping to the island is challenging as the body can quickly go into hypothermia and shut down in the cold, frigid waters.
Alcatraz is under preservation. The buildings are getting new roofs and repainted so future generations can learn the history of Alcatraz. The jail cells are only five ft. wide, nine ft. deep, and seven ft. high, which are very small. Al Capone was a prisoner on the Rock, with George ” Machine Gun ” Kelly and more.
Alcatraz is one of the top places people have on their bucket lists to see. Paris and the Eiffel tower are number one. People are interested in Alcatraz and the various attempts made over the years to escape the Rock. The movie escape from Alcatraz has also made seeing Alcatraz in person tempting and exciting. The method of out in the movie was the same attempt the actual prisoners made while stuck on the Rock. They removed the grate in their cell and put homemade heads in their beds, and when the guards hit their beds, the artificial heads rolled to the floor. Alcatraz had 1500 prisoners pass through its doors over the years.
Copyright 2018. Not to be reproduced in any form.