ALCATRAZ PRISON

ALCATRAZ PRISON Alcatraz is a 12 acre island , the original name of which was “Isle de Alcatraces” in Spanish meaning “Isle of the Pelicans” and refers to the first inhabitants of this rocky, steep-sided island. In 1853 the U.S.Army established a Fort here that guarded San Francisco Bay till 1907, when it became a military prison. From 1934 to 1963 it served as maximum security federal penitentiary. Dubbed “the Rock” by prisoners it had 450 cells but housed an average of 264 of the country’s most infamous criminals, who were transferred here for disobedience while serving time elsewhere in prisons in
U S A. Today Alcatraz is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Looming ominously “the Rock” is an island in the heart of San Francisco Bay, just a mile and quarter from the sights and sounds of one of the world’s most beautiful cities. It has been used as a fort, a lighthouse and a prison. The prison promised its inmates strict discipline and constant vigilance. Prisoners spent 16 to 23 hours alone in stark cells equipped only with a toilet and a bunk. Many cells measured 5 ft by 9 ft. The average number of prisoners was 260 and the maximum 302. There were 336 cells available. The cell house constructed in 1912 was the strongest largest steel-reinforced concrete building in the world at that time. Of the 1545 men who did time on Alcatraz a few famous inmates were Al Capone who was convicted for income-tax evasion and spent much of his five year term in an isolation cell. He left the prison mentally unstable. Robert Stroud known as “the Birdman of Alcatraz” spent most of his 17 years in solitary confinement. He became an authority on “Canaries” and wrote books which are prescribed reading, even today for ornithologists. John Frankenheimer made a great movie “The Birdman Of Alcatraz”.about the birdman which fetched an Oscar for the hero Burt Lancaster. Actually he kept these birds in his Leavenworth prison in Kansas and Alcatraz did not allow him to keep any birds.

The only attempt to escape was by three prisoners—the Anglin brothers and Frank Morris who chipped through the walls, hiding the holes with cardboard grates. They used raincoats as floatation devices and were presumably bound for San Francisco bay. They kept dummies to foil prison guards. These are on display in their cells. Although their bodies were never found they are assumed to have drowned. Their story was filmed in “Escape from Alcatraz” in 1962 by Clint Eastwood. Another popular Alcatraz movie is “Rock” starring Sean Connery and Nicholas Cage.

George “machine gun” Kelly was the prison’s most dangerous inmate and was held for 17 years for kidnapping and extortion. Attorney-General Robert Kennedy closed down the prison in 1963. After its closure native Americans took over the island and conducted a sit-in protest from 1969—1971. At the entrance there is a message scrawled in paint which reads “Indians welcome”. Pleasantly surprised we thought we were specially welcomed!. We met an author who has written three books on Alcatraz. Her father was the warden for several years and she grew up here. She is Jocelyn Babek. I asked her whether she had seen the Birdman, Robert Stroud. She had not. Then I queried why he was not allowed to see the film “Birdman of Alcatraz”. She said movies were not shown to prisoners, only small clippings. She was autographing her three books and she was indeed having a field day! Admirable is the arrangement. There is an audio tour. For a small sum each one is given a walkman which has high quality commentary leading you step by step to the cells, gun gallery, dining hall,libraryand recreation yard. I do not know if we have such an arrangement in the Cellular Jail at Andamans, which housed Veer Savarkar.P P R
30-10-2008