Alcatraz Essay

Have you ever wondered what the worst prison would be like. Alcatraz was the worst prison ever it had the most baddest criminals ever. Alcatraz was nicknamed "the rock" because it was out in the middle of San Francisco Bay. It was also thought that no one could escape the prison because of all the dangers. Alcatraz opened on August 11, 1934 and closed on March 21, 1963. Alcatraz had some of the worst criminals some of the key moments were when Al Capone the worst bad guy came to Alcatraz, it also effects the people today because they see how bad it was for the prisoners to escape and have to stay there.

Security in Alcatraz was intense, and escaping was nearly impossible. The idea was maximum custody. The prisoners were on a strict schedule and were constantly being watched by the correctional officers. Official counts were held every 30 minutes during the day. (need source here) They were locked behind doors at all times, and the bars were tool-resistant.

Over fifty years after its closing, Alcatraz is still the most infamous prison of this country. This prison is so popular that it receives over 1.3 million visitors each year, and it’s one of San Francisco's biggest tourist attractions. While this prison is said to be inescapable that’s mostly to do with the government trying to keep its reputation up. Being that the prison open for nearly thirty years and only three prisoners were said to escape, it could be considered

Al Capone was born on January 17, 1899 in Brooklyn, New York. He grew up with poor immigrant parents and had 7 brothers and sisters. His Father’s name was Gabriele Capone,and his Mother’s name was Teresina Capone. Al was a good student in school until he reached the sixth grade and got into a altercation with his teacher and punched her. After the incident he never went back to school and instead looked to street gangs. Two gangs he joined were the Brooklyn Rippers, and the Forty Thelves. His family then decided it was best for them to move to a safer area and moved to the outskirts of Brooklyn. Al met his wife at this time and two men named Johnny Torrio and Frankie Yale. Torrio was one of the biggest partners Al had ever worked with and also the godfather of his son Albert Francis and Frankie gave Al a job as a bartender and bouncer at the Howard Inn. Meeting these two men was the Start of something new ("Al Capone").

Al Capone still remains one of the most notable residents of "the Rock." In a memoir written by Warden James Johnston, he reminisced about the intensity of public interest around Capone's imprisonment, stating that he was continually barraged with questions about "Big Al." Each day newspapers and press flooded his office with phone calls, wanting to know everything from how Capone liked the weather on "the Rock," to what job assignment he was currently holding.

Overcrowding in our state and federal jails today has become a big issue. Back in the 20th century, prison rates in the U.S

Thesis: Alcatraz has been a popular social topic because of the mystery that surrounds it and the stories exaggerated in movies and television shows.

When Al Capone arrived at Alcatraz, he quickly learned it was not going to be like the Atlanta’s federal penitentiary. He would not be able to get his way any longer. Capone consistently asked for favors, special privileges, and relaxed rules, but no correctional offer would give in to his persistent begging. All men at Alcatraz were treated the same, which bothered Capone greatly. Even though Al Capone was at Alcatraz, he still remained relatively famous. He would receive letters asking for autographs, donations, subscriptions, and many other investments. The Director of the Bureau of Prisons knew him as the most notable gangster of all time. He was also referred to as one of the most notorious Alcatraz prisoners.

So in conclusion the men could have escaped, and made it to either The Marin Headlands or Angel Island.The only successful escapees of Alcatraz had a well thought out plan because some think they are currently in Brazil, on their own farm, they had a good way to distract the guards,and get out of the cell, and they poured themselves over countless tide tables and ferry

Hands down, Alcatraz was the most successful prison ever built in America. Other prisons could not compare, because Alcatraz also was one of the most expensive prisons. The Rock held the most dangerous prisoners alive, and it kept them safely locked away. In 1963, the prisoners were shipped to different prisons around the country. The problem was that the prison was too hard to run and it was too expensive, as the goods and supplies had to be brought on boat. Alcatraz was the best and most safe prison to ever be built in America but for only a couple

Alcatraz was introduced as a prison in the Civil War to hold captured men. But was later taken over by the United Sates Department of Justice (U.D.J) because it was just abandoned after the war. Eventually it was turned into a prison to hold men that normal community prisons could not hold. In the 1930’s a crime wave hit the United States and Alcatraz was about to become a full house. During that time escape became a bigger problem due to the size of the prison and the lack of guards in the jail. There were over 14 escape attempts involving over 30 men. Twenty were caught and eight killed over a period of years. Alcatraz finally hired enough men to secure the jail to the highest level. 1 man by the name of Frank Morris proved that was not

III. Alcatraz served as the federal government’s response to post-prohibition America. Both the institution and the men

Most people believe that Alcatraz was a horrible prison, but the prison is not as bad as people believe. Many prisoners enjoyed their stay in Alcatraz compared to their federal prisons. The one-person-per-cell policy appealed to many prisoners because it made them less vulnerable to attacks by their fellow inmates. Alcatraz also served good food and they could get as many servings as they wanted because poor food was

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

As the cold waters rush into the San Francisco Bay, they crash up against an island standing in the strait. This rock is hidden by the fog and isolated by the chilling waters of the Pacific that flow in and out every day. It has a gloom that hangs about its rocky face most know it as Alcatraz but the men who experienced this island, referred to her as “The Rock”. To the men confined there, it is not only the ultimate in isolation but the most ironic because they are there in the midst of the activity of a busy harbor with small craft darting to and from San Francisco, Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley, Richmond, and Sausalito; within sound of the honking horns of a ceaseless procession of automobiles crossing the bridges; within sight of ocean