What It Was Like To Be An Inmate At Alcatraz

The federal penitentiary on Alcatraz Island, located off the coast of San Francisco, CA, opened in 1934. Until it closed nearly three decades later, Alcatraz was reserved for some of the most ruthless criminals. Life at Alcatraz was not just about confinement and punishment but discipline and routine. Not everything about Alcatraz was considered undesirable; in fact, some convicts even requested doing time at "The Rock."

#Alcatraz #HistoryOfAlcatraz #WeirdHistory

[Polymathically]

I was lucky enough to sleep overnight on Alcatraz for a weekend. This was about 25 years ago, when I was in the Boy Scouts. We did some volunteer cleanup and got a private tour. That place is much, _much_ creepier at night after all the tourists leave. The fog rolls in, and you can't see the city anymore. It's like you're trapped in this little pocket of reality where nothing exists but the island. On the other hand, the audio tour is way more interesting when you don't have to deal with the crowds. We got to sleep in cells in Block D, but of course we brought our own sleeping bags. Looking back, that was such a great and unique experience.

[williamjameslehy]

Alcatraz was considered shockingly cruel and inhumane in its day, and yet it sounds like a 5 star resort compared to California's prison system of the early 21st Century.

[spaceman]

During the early 2000s, I was on a tour of Alcatraz. I volunteered to spend a minute in "the hole" (solitary confinement). It was TOTALLY dark and quiet. It was "interesting", to say the least. I understand that some prisoners, to pass the time in the hole, would tear a button off their shirts, fling it randomly somewhere in the cell and spend much time feeling around trying to find that button.

[renegaderick]

Only one correction. The prisons tap put out warm water. This was done so that the prisoners adjusted to the warmth so that any escape attempt would be harder for them since the water surrounding the prison was freezing. Kudos to the person who came up with this. Shows they really put some thought into it and thought about the small details. For a time the prison didnt seem to be that bad but the living conditions seemed to rapidly decline in the later years.

[iizg]

“Their bodies where never found” sounds like they got away with it.

[clonkers]

this sounds like someone describing a home without wifi

[PavusthePug]

Access to doctors? Including to psychiatric help AND dental? They were living better than me as a college student in 2019.

[DRock]

I bought Jim Quillen's book while meeting him at Alcatraz and he signed it for me. Very good read and an incredible story of him turning his life around. Nice guy, too.

[MrBlitzpunk]

Well that's actually not as bad as i was lead to believe.

[ashtray]

me: oh it had psychiatric hospice needs? cool!
me: *realizes it was 1950s* oh

[micahvr]

u forgot about the part where u ended up fighting zombies

[PointyTailofSatan]

Anyone interested in this has to find a copy of "On the Rock" by Alvin Karpis. He was a former Public Enemy #1, and was the head of the infamous Ma Barker gang. He was also a criminal genius. He was at Alcatraz for 26 years, and his book is an amazing history of all the other famous criminals also locked up at Alcatraz, the various escape attempts, and the day to day life at the prison.

[rickkinki]

I met Jim Quilan on the Island, years after his release, and he autographed his book for me. He was a very interesting character, not nearly the bad guy most of the inmates were. He'd robbed a post office in an effort to obtain money to feed his sister, and everything went wrong.

[KateRambo]

The Battle of Alcatraz is probably the greatest prison siege that ever occurred.

[shesaknitter]

I did the Alcatraz tour many years ago and it was fascinating. One thing I remember them telling us was that the food was so good because they wanted to avoid riots. One easy path to riots is feeding hundreds of potentially violent men poor food.

[Yogagirl]

I’ve visited & read several books about Alcatraz. Both written by former inmates or guards or children of guards that lived on the island. It’s interesting how some of the inmates really turned their lives around & later lived productive lives, while some, by their language in their book, etc, still had the mentality of a convict. Probably the best book I’ve read was “Alcatraz Screw” (term for a guard) who worked there for several years, while he went to school to be a chiropractor. I felt that his experience there was well written and informative.

[emapple]

interesting how prisoners get better food than students in public schools

[Bigfoot_With_Internet_Access]

I'm glad I just live way out here in the woods, I'd hate be locked up somewhere like that

[sillygooselol]

Funny how prisons are better then homeless shelters

[allninelivez]

Me: *goes to Alcatraz*

Random Announcer: "Fetch me their SOULS!"