ALCATRAZ

THE ISLAND BEFORE THE PRISON

BUILDING aLCATRAZ

• the building was done by the prisoners.
• Alcatraz was built to house 450 convicts.
• Installed searchlight towers and floodlights, Teargas outlets in the mess hall ceilings and main entrance. This was to as protection during riots.

LIFE ON ALCATRAZ

CELLS IN ALCATRAz

• There were many different types of cells (A B c and d block)
• d block is isolation, it is also called "THe Hole"
• Isolation can last from weeks to years
• many in isolation got depressed and would do anything to get out

daily life

• 6:30 wake up by cell house alarm.
• 20 minutes to make bed, brush teeth, and get dressed.
• 20 minutes to eat after utensils were counted.
• snitch box was a metal detector that moved throughout the prison and was a constant irritant in prisoners lives.
• they got 2 hours in the yard where there was different sports they were able to play.
• 5:30 cell doors shut, they were closed for the next 13 hours.

notorious priosners

• Prison held some of the most notorious criminals in history.
• Some of them were Al Capone, birdman of Alcatraz, George "machine gun" Kelly, Alvin Karpis and many more.
• the prisoners were considered highly dangerous.
• alvin karpis was the longest incarcerated inmate. he also experienced all levels of confinement.

Families on alcatraz

• families of the guards live on Alcatraz.
• they didn't even lock their doors.
• the criminals were either locked up or across the bay in SAn Francisco.
• the children took a morning boat ride to San francisco to go to school.

ALCATRAZ in segregation

• in the early years of the prison Alcatraz practiced segregation.
• in 1935 there were 9 black inmates
• They had their own table in the mess hall.
• their cells were also clustered away from the other inmates.
• white men would work on the first floor while black men worked on the second.

AFTER THE PRISON CLOSES

closing

• Alcatraz closed in 1963.
• it closed due to lack of funds.
• another reason was because of environmental issues. Their draining system went out into the ocean.
• the buildings were beginning to deteriorate due to the salt water in the air.

AMERICAN INDIAN OCCUPATION

• Sioux Indians occupied the island.
• They thought the island belonged to them.
• 400 Indians stayed on the island until the coast guard forced them off.
• Big step in American Indian equal rights.

NATIONAL PARK

• In 1972 congress created golden gate national recreation area.
• Alcatraz Island was included in this.
• Opened in fall of 1973.
• There is More than 1 million visitors each year.

THANKS FOR WATCHING