Alcatraz Prison; It is one of the most famous and notorious prisons in the world. The prison, which has high-level security measures, is famous as the “Place No Escape”. For this reason, books have been written about “Escape from Alcatraz”, movies have been made, competitions have been organized and many news have been published about it. How the 3 prisoners who managed to escape from the prison escaped are among the issues that remain a mystery. The fugitives were thought to have drowned while escaping on the night of 11 June 1962, but no evidence of drowning was found. The prison, which was closed after the escape, serves as a museum today.
Located on Alcatraz Island, USA, the prison was used between 1861 and 1963. The island is located in San Francisco Bay, 1.5 miles from the coast. The island, which was previously under the rule of the Spanish, is known as the “Island of the Pelicans”. Later, it passed to the US administration in 1848 and was used for military purposes for a while for the defense of San Francisco. The prison, built in 1868, served as a prison where the leaders of the rebels were kept. It was gradually enlarged with the buildings added to the prison, and in 1934 it was converted into a federal prison.
Dangerous convicts from various parts of the country have been brought to the prison, which has high-level security measures. In the prison, where the convicts are named by numbers, there are no privileges other than simple basic necessities. Some of the famous criminals held in prison are; Al Capone, Doc Barker, George Kelly, Robert Franklin Stroud, Bonnie and Clyde driver, Floyd Hamilton and Alvin Karpis. The 3 people who managed to escape from the prison; John Anglin is his brother Clarence and Frank Morris. While it is not known whether these 3 people died or not, their escape stories have been the subject of the book Escape from Alcatraz and many movies.
Features of Alcatraz Prison
Located on Alcatraz Island, the prison has been likened to prison camps due to its harsh conditions. Prisoners were given nothing but shelter, food, clothing and medical aid. The doors and windows of the main building are covered with iron bars. Most inmates spent 23 hours a day in their cell. The cells are small enough that a prisoner can touch the walls when he opens his arms. If there was an opportunity, they could only go out for an hour as a cleaner. In order to benefit from the library in the prison, it was required to be a prisoner who did not cause any problems for at least 5 years.
The island is surrounded by cold gulf waters with intense currents and plenty of sharks. There are watchtowers all over the island, and there are armed guards in the towers. Hot water was provided to the detainees in the prison. The reason is a method developed for the inmates, who are accustomed to hot water if they try to escape, to be afraid of ice cold water. During the detention process, many of the prisoners went mad, some committed suicide, and some injured themselves. In the prison where there are no women; Everyone, including guards, doctors, administrators, is male.
Some criminals are sent to prison to learn to follow the rules. Criminals stay in this prison for 6 or 8 years, when they learn to obey the rules, they are sent back to their old prison. Criminals have the right to meet with their families once a month. Interviews were held within strict rules that prohibited physical contact, drink, food, and talk about the life of the criminal.
Attempts to Escape Alcatraz
According to official records, no one escaped from the prison. In the 29 years that the island was used as a prison, 34 people made 14 separate attempts to escape. 23 of these people were caught, 2 of them drowned, 4 of them were shot dead and 5 of them could not be found. The three men, who were trying to escape from the prison and were the subject of the movies, tried to dig a tunnel with their own tools. No one saw the men again, who fled to reach the sea and then swim. There are those who believe that the men who are presumed dead survived and lead a free life.
An attempt was made to revolt in the prison in 1946. During the clashes that lasted for two days due to the riot, 3 convicts and 2 security guards died, and many people were injured. In the last escape event that took place in 1962, illegal provisions could not be caught, and the prison was closed in the same year and the convicts were transferred to another place.
In order to show that it is impossible to escape from Alcatraz; The Alcatraz Triathlon has been held since 1981. The Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon began in 1981 as a private club event that began in San Francisco and ended in Marin County. These are sports activities that consist of some activities such as swimming, running, gymnastics. The Triathlon, which is open to the public, is now held in June.
