Alcatraz Prison Essay
Abstract
Alcatraz Prison was one of the most secure prisons ever built in the United States. Alcatraz was erected in the San Francisco Bay and originally was a military facility during the late 1800s. Alcatraz has housed 1,576 of the United States most dangerous criminals during its 29 year existence (Williams). Alcatraz has housed well known criminals such as Al Capone and George Barnes (The Rock). The prison was considered escape proof, so when prisoners from other federal facilities were causing problems or were an escape risk, they were sent to Alcatraz to serve out their sentence (The Rock).
Alcatraz Prison is located in the San Francisco Bay and is surrounded by water making it one of the most escape proof prisons …show more content…
According to the prison correctional officers, once a convict arrived on the Alcatraz wharf, his first thoughts were on how to leave (The Rock). During its 29 years of operation, the penitentiary claimed that no prisoner successfully escaped. A total of 36 prisoners made 14 escape attempts, two men trying twice; 23 were caught, six were shot and killed during their escape, two drowned, and five are listed as "missing and presumed drowned"(Williams). The first unsuccessful attempt to escape the prison was made on April 27, 1936 by Joseph Bowers, who was assigned the duty of burning trash at the incinerator. He tried to escape during duty hours by scaling a chain link fence at the edge of the island. When he was caught and refused to obey the correctional officer to come down, he was shot. He was seriously injured in the fall from over 50 feet and consequently died (Williams).
According to The Rock() the first escape attempt to mar Alcatraz 's reputation as an "escape-proof" prison, was made on December 16, 1937, by Theodore Cole and Ralph Roe. During their work assignment in one of the workshops, they cut the flat iron bars of the window and climbed into the bay waters to escape. It was a stormy day and the bay water was highly turbulent. As the escapees were not found, they were thought by the prison authorities to have drowned in the bay and their bodies were swept out into the sea due to the turbulent bay
Alcatraz Prison was one of the most secure prisons ever built in the United States. Alcatraz was erected in the San Francisco Bay and originally was a military facility during the late 1800s. Alcatraz has housed 1,576 of the United States most dangerous criminals during its 29 year existence (Williams). Alcatraz has housed well known criminals such as Al Capone and George Barnes (The Rock). The prison was considered escape proof, so when prisoners from other federal facilities were causing problems or were an escape risk, they were sent to Alcatraz to serve out their sentence (The Rock).
Alcatraz Prison is located in the San Francisco Bay and is surrounded by water making it one of the most escape proof prisons …show more content…
According to the prison correctional officers, once a convict arrived on the Alcatraz wharf, his first thoughts were on how to leave (The Rock). During its 29 years of operation, the penitentiary claimed that no prisoner successfully escaped. A total of 36 prisoners made 14 escape attempts, two men trying twice; 23 were caught, six were shot and killed during their escape, two drowned, and five are listed as "missing and presumed drowned"(Williams). The first unsuccessful attempt to escape the prison was made on April 27, 1936 by Joseph Bowers, who was assigned the duty of burning trash at the incinerator. He tried to escape during duty hours by scaling a chain link fence at the edge of the island. When he was caught and refused to obey the correctional officer to come down, he was shot. He was seriously injured in the fall from over 50 feet and consequently died (Williams).
According to The Rock() the first escape attempt to mar Alcatraz 's reputation as an "escape-proof" prison, was made on December 16, 1937, by Theodore Cole and Ralph Roe. During their work assignment in one of the workshops, they cut the flat iron bars of the window and climbed into the bay waters to escape. It was a stormy day and the bay water was highly turbulent. As the escapees were not found, they were thought by the prison authorities to have drowned in the bay and their bodies were swept out into the sea due to the turbulent bay