To ditch the infamous federal penitentiary, inmates tried everything from paper-mâché masks to a military impersonation to a bloody revolt. by Aaron Randle Ever since Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary opened as a maximum-security lockup in 1934 on a desolate island in the middle of San Francisco Bay, officials touted it as “America’s most secure prison.” During its nearly 30Continue reading “True Crime Sundays: Alcatraz Escapes: 14 Breakout Attempts from the Island Prison”
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History Lesson Tuesdays: 1934 – Federal Prisoners Land On Alcatraz
A group of federal prisoners classified as “most dangerous” arrives at Alcatraz Island, a 22-acre rocky outcrop situated 1.5 miles offshore in San Francisco Bay, on August 11, 1934. The convicts—the first civilian prisoners to be housed in the new high-security penitentiary—joined a few dozen military prisoners left over from the island’s days as a U.S. military prison.Continue reading “History Lesson Tuesdays: 1934 – Federal Prisoners Land On Alcatraz”
History Lesson Tuesdays: Alcatraz Closes it Doors for Good. March 21, 1963
The Closing of an Icon After two decades of intense scrutiny relating to operating costs and confinement practices, on Thursday, March 21, 1963, the end of an era arrived with the official closure of Alcatraz. The physical structures on Alcatraz were indicating wear and tear that would cost the government millions of dollars to keepContinue reading “History Lesson Tuesdays: Alcatraz Closes it Doors for Good. March 21, 1963”
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