Memorable World History/Authors

Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary (Part I)

The Alcatraz Federal Penitentiaryor United States Penitentiary, Alcatraz Island (often referredto as Alcatraz [/ˈælkəˌtræz/, Spanish pronunciation:[al-ka-tɾas] (Latin America)/Spanish pronunciation: [al-ka-tɾaθ](Spain) from Arabic: غطاس‎,romanized: al-ġaţţās, lit. 'gannet ("the diver")'] orThe Rock) was a maximum security federal prison on Alcatraz Island,1.25 miles (2.01 km) off the coast of San Francisco, California,United States, the site of a fort since the 1850s; the main prisonbuilding was built in 1910–1912 as a United States Army militaryprison. The United States Department of Justice acquired the UnitedStates Disciplinary Barracks, Pacific Branch, on Alcatraz on 12October 1933, and the island became a prison of the Federal Bureau ofPrisons in August 1934 after the buildings were modernized andsecurity increased. Given this high security and the island'slocation in the cold waters and strong currents of San Francisco Bay,prison operators believed Alcatraz to be escape-proof and America'sstrongest prison.

The three-story cellhouse included thefour main cell blocks, A-block through D-block, the warden's office,visitation room, the library, and the barber shop. The prison cellstypically measured 9 feet (2.7 m) by 5 feet (1.5 m) and 7 feet (2.1m) high. The cells were primitive and lacked privacy, with a bed,desk, and washbasin, and a toilet on the back wall, and with fewfurnishings except a blanket. African-Americans were segregated fromother inmates in cell designation due to racial abuse. D-Block housedthe worst inmates, and six cells at its end were designated "TheHole," where badly behaving prisoners would be sent forperiods of often brutal punishment. The dining hall and kitchenextended from the main building. Prisoners and staff ate three mealsa day together. The Alcatraz Hospital was above the dining hall.

Prison corridors were named after majorU.S. streets such as Broadway and Michigan Avenue. Working at theprison was considered a privilege for inmates and many of the betterinmates were employed in the Model Industries Building and NewIndustries Building during the day, actively involved in providingfor the military in jobs such as sewing and woodwork, and performingvarious maintenance and laundry chores.

Today, Alcatraz is a public museum andone of San Francisco's major tourist attractions, attracting some 1.5million visitors annually. Now operated by the National ParkService's Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the timeworn formerprison is being restored and maintained.

History

Construction

Alcatraz Cellhouse

The main cellhouse was builtincorporating some parts of Fort Alcatraz's citadel, a partiallyfortified barracks from 1859 that had come to be used as a jail. Anew cellhouse was built from 1910–1912 on a budget of $250,000, andupon completion, the 500 feet (150 m) long concrete building wasreputedly the longest concrete building in the world at the time.This building was modernized in 1933 and 1934 and became the maincellhouse of the federal penitentiary until its closure in 1963. When the new concrete prison was built, many materials were reused inits construction. Iron staircases in the interior and the cellhousedoor near the barber's shop at the end of A-block were retained fromthe old citadel and massive granite blocks originally used as gunmounts were reused as the wharf's bulkheads and retaining walls. Many of the old cell bars were used to reinforce the walls, causingstructural problems later due to the fact that many placed near theedge were subject to erosion from the salt air and wind over theyears.

Entrance

After the United States Army's use ofthe island for over 80 years, it was transferred to the FederalBureau of Prisons, which hoped an escape-proof jail would help breakthe crime wave of the 1920s and 1930s. The Department of Justiceacquired the Disciplinary Barracks on Alcatraz on 12 October 1933,and it became a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility in August 1934.$260,000 was spent to modernize and improve it from January 1934. George Hess of the United States Public Health Service was appointedchief medical officer and Edward W. Twitchell became a consultant inpsychiatry for Alcatraz in January 1934. The hospital was checked bythree officials from the Marine Hospital of San Francisco. The Bureauof Prisons personnel arrived on Alcatraz in early February; amongthem was acting chief clerk Loring O. Mills. In April 1934, the oldmaterial was removed from the prison; holes were cut in the concreteand 269 cell fronts were installed, built using four carloads ofsteel ordered from the Stewart Iron Works. Two of four new stairwayswere built, as were 12 doors to the utility corridors and gratings atthe top of the cells. On 26 April, an accidental small fire broke outon the roof and an electrician injured his foot by dropping a manholecover on it. The Anchor Post Fence Company added fencing aroundAlcatraz and the Enterprise Electric Works added emergency lightingin the morgue and switchboard operations. In June 1934, theTeletouch Corporation of New York began the installation of an"electro-magnetic gun or metal detecting system" atAlcatraz; detectors were added on the wharf, at the front entranceinto the cellblock, and at the rear entrance gate. The correctionalofficers were instructed how to operate the new locking devices on 30July 1934, and both the United States Coast Guard and the SanFrancisco Police Department tested the new radio equipment on thesame day. Final checks and assessments were made on the first twodays of August.