Alcatraz

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 liners as they glide through the Golden Gate to far away ports in the vast Pacific, and within sight and sound of air clippers and their buzzing motors, all reminding them that life is near but freedom is so far. James A. Johnston Alcatraz was the dreaded prison of all criminals.

This penitentiary was a sign of long term confinement and isolation. The island has gone through many changes in its time, from serving as a military fort in the mid 1850s, as a military prison in the early 1900s, as a national prison in the mid 1900s and, as it is today, serving as a national museum and park. The military took this island as a fort in 1909 and construction of a concrete cellblock was started on the uppermost plateau of the island. It was used as a military prison during these years. However, it soon became over crowded and three years later construction of the new cell house took place. Once completed, the inmates were moved into this cellhouse which had spacious cells, and more importantly, central heating.

In addition, a well-equipped medical facility was now available onsite, thus eliminating the need to transfer sick, yet dangerous, inmates off the island for care in hospitals on the main land. Life on Alcatraz, popularly named as “The Rock”, was not easy for the inmates. During the early years on Alcatraz, incarceration meant hard labor on the grounds of the island. However, by the mid 20’s, rumors began to circulate about the country of unspeakable conditions the inmates had to endure on the island. Outcry from the public persisted, forcing the military to make a decision. Faced with the expense of operating the island an...

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.... The salt water from the bay had taken its toll on the prison. The concrete in the cellhouses and other buildings absorbed much of the salt from the air and were quickly disintegrating. This is why it was so easy for this last escape to take place. It was estimated that it would take close to 5 million dollars to repair Alcatraz.

That was a cost that the government was not willing to spend. The operating costs of Alcatraz were also looked over. The cost of shipping food and other supplies to the island was becoming more expensive and it was found that it was no longer cost efficient to keep “The Rock” in use. In 1963 Alcatraz was closed down by the decision of Robert F. Kennedy.

Despite the closing of Alcatraz as a prison, there is still activity among these rocks. This island, formerly a place of solitude and desolation, now serves as a National Park and museum. The Golden Gate National Recreation Area was established in 1972 and Alcatraz was included as one of these parks. Over one million people visit “The Rock” each year, including tourists from around the globe. The island of Alcatraz has become one of the most popular attractions in the Bay Area and its stories live on.