Alcatraz

The island of Alcatraz () is a island located in the middle of the Baie of San Francisco, in California with the the United States. This island lodged during a few decades a fortress, then a federal Prison of high security. Today, the complex of Alcatraz was reconverted in a historic site, managed by the service of the national parks of the United States.

The Phare of Alcatraz is the oldest headlight in activity of the West coast of the United States. It was besides the first headlight built on the coast Pacifique and functions since 1854. It ceased lighting only once, in 1970, at the time of the Incendie which destroyed the house of the guard and cut the power supply.

History

The fort of Alcatraz

The name of Alcatraz is derived from Spanish Alcatraces who means “Pélican S” or “strange birds”. In 1775, the Spanish explorer Juan Manuel of Ayala is the first European to be sailed in what corresponds today to bay of San Francisco; during its exploration, it names one of the three islands of the bay Alcatraces . With the wire of time, the name of the island is anglicized to become Alcatraz .

With the California, the island of Alcatraz in the beginning a Spanish colony then is belonged to the Mexico at the time of its independence before being annexed by the the United States in 1850. At this point in time a presidential order is launched with for project the establishment on the island of military concerning the American Armée. However, the episode of the Gold rush which involved a boom population of San Francisco and the increasingly pressing need to protect bay from San Francisco lead the US Army to build there a Forteresse at the beginning of the Années 1850. The army intends to install a hundred guns on the island in order to make of it the place best strengthened West coast of the United States. With the Strong Point and the File Not, Alcatraz forms a triangle of defense protecting bay from San Francisco. The island is also the first operational site of the West of the United States to accommodate a maritime Phare.

In the years which follow the island accommodates its first military prisoners. While the purely defensive utility of Alcatraz decreases with time (never the island did not have to make fire of its guns in battle), its role of prison is confirmed during the century which follows. In 1909, US Army leaves the citadel as bases so that Alcatraz becomes officially a military prison. Of 1909 with 1911, the military prisoners of the island are employed to build the new prison which is then used to lodge the Western branch of the disciplinary American army corps. It is this building which will become famous with the nickname of The Rock (the rock).

Opening of Alcatraz…

US Army in the island at its disposal between 1850 and 1933, date on which the property of Alcatraz is transferred to American justice in order to yield of it the use to the Federal office of the prisons.

The federal government decides to make of Alcatraz a model prison, offering a maximum of safety with respect to the escapes and granting only few privileges to the prisoners who could not negotiate their conditions of imprisonment. It was thus a question of showing with the public at the time the federal government was determined to stop the rise of the criminality of the Années 1930. The prison, officially become USP Alcatraz (USP for United States Prison ) was not the “America' S Devil' S Island” (the island of the Diable of America) like much of films and as books described it. Its average population is from approximately 260-275 prisoners and never exceeds the 336 prisoners. Alcatraz never represented again 1  % of the incarceration population of the the United States. Testimonys of ex-prisoners tell that the conditions of imprisonment in Alcatraz were better than in the other federal prisons and than much of prisoners asked their transfer it.

… with its closing

The March 21st 1963, the prison of Alcatraz definitively closes its doors after twenty-nine years of service. It is estimated indeed that the continuation of the activity of the prison would require an investment from three to five million dollars only for its restoration and its maintenance.

However this investment does not even include the daily expenses of operation of Alcatraz, which are nearly three times superiors to those of the other federal prisons. This exorbitant overcost is mainly due to the total insulation of the island which implies that all the people and the goods are conveyed by boat. It is not only of the foodstuffs, clothing and the mail, but especially about fresh water since Alcatraz does not have any source. Thus each week, three million liters of water must be brought. The federal government estimates finally that it is more economic to build a prison more modern than to renovate Alcatraz to keep it in service.

Reconversion in historic site

After the closing of the prison, several ideas are examined in order to transform the island of Alcatraz: it is in turn question of building a monument for the the United Nations, of setting up a Statue of freedom for the West coast or of arranging a hotel complex.

In 1970, a fire is declared in the Prison and the house of the Phare. In June 1971, the occupants are evacuated on order of the federal government. In 1972, the American Congrès creates the Golden Spoils National Re-creation Area (national Zone of leisures of the Golden delicious Spoils) in which the whole of Alcatraz is integrated. The island is opened with the public as of 1973 and quickly becomes one of the most attended tourist places area of San Francisco. Each year, more than one million tourists visit the island and the prison of Alcatraz.

Amerindian occupation of 1969

See also: American Indian Movement

The November 9th 1969, a spectacular event draws the attention to the Indians and Alcatraz. Before the paddle, 78 Amerindian S unload on the island (it is it should be noted that in 1964 already, a handle of students had made in the same way to proclaim an Indian university but they had been quickly expelled and this attempt had passed unperceived). The group is carried out by Richard Oakes, an Indian Mohawk, director of the department of the Indian studies to the college of State of Chicago and Grace Thorpe, Indienne Sac and fox girl of Jim Thorpe, footballer and Indian Olympic athlete.

This group is joined by other Indians and in less than one month, they are approximately six hundreds which represent fifty different tribes. They are indicated “Indian of all the tribes” and write a declaration entitled We hold the Rock in which they propose to buy Alcatraz with glass shots and rags of fabric, like the White had done it for Manhattan three hundred years before.

They add: We think that this island that you call Alcatraz is ideal to receive an Indian reserve such as the White conceive it. In fact we think that this place shows already all the characteristics of the Indian reserves:

  1. It is distant from all the services and is served by no adequate means of transport.
  2. It does not have there running water.
  3. the sanitary services are defective.
  4. No oil or ore.
  5. No industry and thus a very high unemployment.
  6. No department of health.
  7. the ground is rock, unsuitable with any culture and there is no game.
  8. No school facilities.
  9. There always was overpopulation in this island.
  10. the population was always regarded as captive and behavior in a total dependence of the autres.

The group of occupation announces its intention to make island a center of Indian studies for the ecology: We will devote ourselves to cleanse water and the atmosphere of bay of San Francisco… and to restore watery fauna.

The government finally makes cut off the water, electricity and the telephone on the island. Some are constrained to leave but one year later those which remain declare: We continue to hold the island of Alcatraz in the name of freedom, justice and the equality because you, brothers and sisters of this ground, supported us in our right cause. We tighten our hands and our heart and address to each one among you messages by the spirit. We hold the Rock. We know that violence still generates more violence. Therefore our occupation of Alcatraz is pacifist and that we hope that the US government will peacefully act with us…
We are proud people!
We are the Indians!
We observed then rejected the majority of what supposedly the civilization.
can offer We are the Indians!
We will preserve our lifestyle and our traditions by communicating them to our clean enfants.
We are the Indians!
We will join our hands in an unknown union hitherto.
We are the Indians!
Our mother the Earth waits until we speak. We are the Indians of all the tribes!
We hold the Rock!

Six months after this declaration, the federal forces take the island by storm and expel the Indians who still remain there.

Life of the prison

Conditions of imprisonment

Alcatraz accommodated the most dangerous prisoners of the country. Al Capone, George “Machine-Gun” Kelly, Alvine Karpis (public enemy n°1), and Arthur “Doc.” Barker purged their sorrow there.

Many the 1  576 prisoners who passed by Alcatraz there were held not for their crimes, but because they refused to conform to the rules in the other federal prisons, were regarded as violent one or presented strong risks of escape. The life with Alcatraz was very structured, which obliged the prisoners scrupulously to follow the enacted rules. The latter enjoyed only four rights: to have to eat, be equipped, be sheltered and receive a medical help in the event of need. However, the prisoners had certain privileges like the possibility of working, of corresponding with outside and of receiving visits. Al Capone worked for example with the textile factory and made uniforms. The Prison had a Bibliothèque and organized play activities like painting and the music. It was proposed to the prisoners with the exemplary behavior to finish their sorrow in another federal Prison of the country.

Escapes

During the 29 years of operation of the prison of 1934 with 1963, 36 prisoners tried to escape at the time of 14 separate attempts. Of these 36 escaped prisoners, 23 were caught up with, 6 were killed by ball and 2 drowned. Two prisoners were carried out in a gas chamber of the Prison of State de San Quentin (California) for their role in the death of a guard during their escape bid from Alcatraz of the 2 to the May 4th 1946, which one called later the battles of Alcatraz . Officially, no prisoner never managed to escape completely from Alcatraz by joining the continent. However, five escaped prisoners were never found, they were regarded as missings and were supposed drowned.

“Fourteen attempts”

The fourteen escapes from Alcatraz between 1934 with 1963 are episodes often rocambolesques:
  • April 27th 1936: while it burns refuses in the incinerator of the island, Joe Bowers starts to force nettings at the edge of bank. After having refused to go and make half-turn, it is cut down by a guard since the tower of guard of the western road. The prisoner then makes a fall from 15 to 30 meters in the shore. He dies of his wounds.

  • December 16th 1937: while they worked, Theodore Cole and Ralph Roe succeed in escaping from their cell and disappear in the bay. Even if a storm makes rage this day and that the currents are strong, certain people think that they could be left there. Ever found, they are officially reported missing and supposed drowned.

  • May 23rd 1938: James Limerick, Jimmy Lucas and Rufus Franklin not tackle a guard armed which they kill using a hammer. The runaways are quickly stopped by the shootings of the guards. Limerick dies while Lucas and Franklin are condemned to custodial sentences with perpetuity.

  • January 13rd 1939: Arthur “Doc.” Barker, Stamphill Flagstone, William Martin, Henry Young and Rufus McCain escape from their cell in unit of insulation. They are intercepted on the western shore. Martin, Young and McCain go while Barker and Stamphill are neutralized by ball. Later, Arthur Barker dies of its wounds.

  • May 21st 1941: Joe Cretzer, Sam Shockley, Arnold Kyle and Lloyd Barkdoll take several guards as an hostage. However, they give up their escape bid after they had been persuaded that it was impossible to escape from Alcatraz.

  • September 15th 1941: during his session of work in the center of waste of the island, John Bayless tries to escape. To be itself introduced into cool water shortly after, it gives up. During its judgment, it réessaye to escape, without success.

  • April 14th 1943: James Boarman, Harold Brest, Floyd Hamilton and Fred Hunter take two guards as an hostage and benefit from it to escape; but one of the hostages succeeds in warning the other guards. Fire is open on the runaways which swim with the broad one. While Hunter and Brest are both apprehended without problem, Boarman is killed by ball (its body ran instantaneously and could not be fished out) and Hamilton is supposed drowned… before it is found by guards with Alcatraz where it had made half-turn.

  • August 7th 1943: Huron “Ted” Walters disappears from the laundry. It is captured on the shore before it can try to join the Baie of San Francisco.

  • July 31st 1945: in one of the most clever escape bids, John Gilles draws advantage from his function of unloader of boats to the docks of the island. This day, it discharged from the military material sent to Alcatraz to be cleaned by the prisoners. Gilles benefits from it to subtilize a military uniform and thanks to this getup to set out again with the boat. Unfortunately, the boat travels towards Angel Island and not San Francisco as he hoped for it. Immediately declared lack, it is caught up with Angel Island fault of being able to leave there.

  • 2 - May 4th 1946: during this incident known under the name of “Battle of Alcatraz”, six prisoners try to escape by controlling the guards and by taking possession of the weapons and the keys of the prison. During the combat, eighteen guards are wounded and two are killed. The army intervened the May 4th and the bodies of three of the prisoners are found in the prison. Two takers of hostages are condemned to the capital punishment (they are gauzes with San Quentin in 1948), and third 19 years old, with one second sorrow with perpetuity.

  • July 23rd 1956: Floyd Wilson disappears from his work to the docks. After several hours of research at the edge of the shore, it is found and réincarcéré.

  • September 29th 1958 - During their session of work, Aaron Burgett and Clyde Johnson escape by neutralizing a guard and escape from the island from the stroke. Clyde Johnson is captured; but after long research his/her companion of escaped is not found. They are only two weeks later that the body of Aaron Burgett is located at sea.

  • June 11th 1962 - Made famous for the film the Escaped prisoner of Alcatraz with Clint Eastwood, the escape from Frank Morris and the brothers John and Clarence Anglin remains a mystery. Missings in the night of their cell and the prison via the air vents, one could never find them. It is only in the small hour that the guards realize of their escape; their cells are empty and their absence dissimulated by mannequins manufactured out of paper chews. FBI lance then one of the greatest manhunts ever undertaken - without success. Personal effects (jackets, letters and photographs) are found thereafter in bay of San Francisco and several weeks later, a body in blue behavior as that of the prisoners of Alcatraz is fished out. But its state of deterioration is such as it could not never be identified. Frank Morris, John and Clarence Anglin was officially reported missing and supposed drowned.

  • December 16th 1962 - John Paul Scott and Darl Parker saw the bars of their cell and jump to water. Parker is found thereafter on a rock close to the island while Scott which tried to swim until San Francisco is off-set towards the broad one before being also found to him towards Fort Point by teenagers. Suffering from hypothermia, it is transferred in a military hospital before turning over to the prison of Alcatraz.

The impossible escape?

One of the legends of Alcatraz tells that it is impossible to actually escape from the island by the stroke because of the Requin S., there is many Requin S in the Baie of San Francisco, but any mangeuse species of man. The main obstacle for the runaways is the temperature of water - low (approximately 10-12 degrees) -, the strong currents which involve towards the broad one and the distance to the continent (two kilometers). In 1934, an young girl made a success of the crossing to prove with the federal authorities that this one was possible. Several swimmers since succeeded in joining the city from the island, in particular a seven years old boy, the May 22nd 2006, which achieved the crossing in forty seven minutes. An trained and conditioned person can undoubtedly survive cool water and traverse the distance from the crossing while going up the currents. On the other hand, for the prisoners, who do not have any drive, no control on their food mode and not of optimal living conditions, the chances of success are weak. Moreover the administration pénitenciaire made systematically take hot showers with the prisoners so that none of them can be accustomed with cool water. To date, no prisoner never officially succeeded in besides rejoining San Francisco.

Inspirations

The prison of Alcatraz inspired several films, in particular:

And also a book:

  • My strange little sister and prisoners of Alcatraz of Gennifer Choldenko

See too

Sources

  • Federal Office off Prisons, has off Brief History Alcatraz , version of February 2006.
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