Alcatraz Research Paper

Even though Alcatraz started as a military base to protect the lower San Francisco area, In 1934 the army had transferred it over to the civilian bureau of prisons (BOP). At the time Alcatraz was meant to be utilized as the first maximum-security, minimum-privilege prison in America (www.alcatrazcruises.com). From 1934 to 1963 Alcatraz Island housed some of America’s worst criminals, from just general trouble makers to the most notorious offenders. For the men sent to the rock, it was the end of the line. This “prison system’s prison” was specifically designed to house the most horrendous prisoners,Alcatraz was home to notorious criminals including Al “Scarface” Capone, who was convicted of tax evasion and spent five years on the island. Alvin “Creepy” Karpis, the FBI’s first “Public Enemy” was a 28 year resident of Alcatraz. The most famous prisoner was Alaskan murderer Robert “Birdman” Stroud, who spent 17 years on Alcatraz. Over its 29 years of operation, the federal prison housed more than 1,500 convicts.Daily life in the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary was harsh. Prisoners were given four rights. They included medical attention, shelter, food and clothing.
Contrary to popular belief, recreational activities and family visits were not considered prisoner rights--these activities had to be earned through hard work. Punishment for bad behavior included hard labor, wearing a 12 pound ball and chain, and lock-downs where
prisoners were kept in solitary confinement, and restricted to bread and water.
Initially The Rock started as a military base, then it was converted to a maximum security prison and during the 29 years Alcatraz was operational, only 36 prisoners were involved in 14 separate escape attempts. Of the thirty-six prisoners involved in attempting to escape, twenty-three of the men were recaptured, 6 were shot and killed, 2 drowned and 5 simply disappeared; these five were thought to have drowned in the San Francisco Bay but their bodies were never recovered.
Finally, In early 1963, Attorney General Robert Kennedy ordered the closing of Alcatraz Island. The old military base was beginning to become high maintenance and the cost of operations were beginning to grow. The last convicts were removed from the island March 21, 1963.

WORKS CITED

Esslinger, Michael.
(2014 Ocean View Publishing) The Rock, A Historical Research Study by Erwin Thompson; Henry Young: Article provided by the Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved from http://www.alcatrazhistory.com/daily.htm

Unknown Author. (2016 Alcatraz Cruises) Alcatraz Island: An Inescapable Experience
Retrieved from https://www.alcatrazcruises.com/website/history-federal-penitentiary.aspx Unknown Author. (2016 The Federal Bureau Of Prisons) The Rock
Retrieved from
https://www.bop.gov/about/history/alcatraz.jsp