Alcatraz: A Definitive History of the Penitentiary Years Part 2

Alcatraz in 1896.

Military inmates preparing the concrete foundation for new lavatories in the Upper Prison in 1902. Note the small exterior cell vent openings along the building exterior.

The Upper Prison complex and stockade wall entrance in 1902. Within the perimeter there were four prison complexes.

Military inmates during a routine verification count in 1902. The count is being performed on the Upper Prison Stockade grounds, facing one of the prison buildings. Note the sentry patrolling the catwalk that encircled the prison boundaries.

The only known photograph of the interior of the Upper Prison, circa 1902. The Upper Prison complexes could accommodate 307 prisoners in total, with two-tiered cellblocks. Close examination of this damaged photograph reveals several cells containing family pictures, and a stairwell with no safety railings.

In April of 1900, Alcatraz was temporarily used as a makes.h.i.+ft health resort for soldiers returning from the Philippine Islands with tropical contagious diseases. Many of these men had returned with severe dysentery and they were initially sent to the General Hospital at the Presidio. While convalescing, the men were actually organized into military companies and "Convalescent Company Number Two" was sent to Alcatraz.

As the prison population had continued to grow at Alcatraz, a temporary wooden cellhouse had been constructed on the parade ground. The cells in the wooden prison were small enclosures with the appearance of horse stables. There were 113 cells, and the average airs.p.a.ce per man was only 161 cubic feet. The cells had an average size of 81/4 x 6 x 31/4 feet, only a little larger than a standard closet. Even by the standards of that era, the wooden cellhouse was considered inadequate and unsafe for housing a large prison population. A medical report of the era described the following conditions: Sanitary defects of the prison are especially apparent. The ventilation of the buildings is very faulty. The corridors, kitchen, and mess rooms are disagreeably drafty... The prisoner when locked up for the night is virtually boxed in for so many hours... The means available for solitary confinement are such as have long been discarded in the better cla.s.s of civilian penal establishments.

In 1902, a lantern fire inside the wooden prison almost turned catastrophic. A quick-thinking guard immediately smothered the fire using water and sand, but the inmates remained horrified of the potential dangers. They knew that if another fire should start, they would be trapped inside a wooden inferno and feared being burned alive.

By 1904, inmate labor had been harnessed to modernize the prison at Alcatraz. The inmate population was moved to the upper prison, which now had the capacity to safely accommodate 307 men and the lower prison was converted to a work area for inmates, housing the laundry and other small workshops. By 1905 the inmate population had grown to over 270 inmates, and convict labor was being used to demolish several of the old building structures and begin new construction. In April of 1906, following the catastrophic San Francisco earthquake which completely destroyed the city's jail facilities, 176 civilian prisoners were temporarily transferred to the island for safe confinement.

Army prisoners seen working in the Upper Prison against the stockade wall, breaking rock into gravel in 1910.

Another 1910 photograph showing army prisoners breaking rock with small hammers, while kept under close guard by an armed sentry. This view is looking east toward the future site of the powerhouse.

A rare photograph of garrison soldiers congregating at the island dock, taken on August 12, 1904. One of the Upper Prison buildings is partially visible at the top left.

A panoramic photograph showing the ma.s.sive fires and destruction that followed the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906.

Alcatraz in 1907.

A 1910 photograph of the Alcatraz Morgue. The Morgue was not used during the years in which the island served as a Federal penitentiary.

U.S. Disciplinary Barracks.

On March 21, 1907, Alcatraz was officially designated as the Pacific Branch of the United States Military Prison, and the Third and Fourth Companies of the U.S. Military Prison Guard were established there as a permanent garrison. Trained sentries would supervise all prisoner activities, and it was during this period that the rigid routine of Alcatraz would begin to emerge. By the turn of the century, the military prison on the island had grown so large that it obscured the lighthouse. Work on a new lighthouse began in 1909 and soon the tower would soar into the sky at a height of eighty-four feet. Electricity powered the light, as well as the fog sirens at the north and south ends of the island. The new keeper's house was adjacent to the quarters of the Warden and prison doctor, located at the top of the main roadway.

The original lighthouse would be replaced in 1909 by an eighty-four-foot concrete tower, which loomed over the newer concrete prison. This photograph shows the new lighthouse under construction.

In 1909 Major Reuben Turner, a military construction engineer from the 29th Infantry, designed and supervised an ambitious building project. He created a fully enclosed building that incorporated the main prison, hospital, kitchen, mess hall, library, shower rooms and auditorium all encapsulated within a single cement superstructure. The top floors of the old Citadel were destroyed and a large new cellhouse was constructed, literally on top of the solid masonry structure of the old defensive barracks. The cellhouse was the largest steel-reinforced concrete structure in the world at the time of its construction, and it was designed to hold up to six hundred inmates. Each inmate could occupy a private cell, with a forced air ventilation system and cold running water. A convict labor force with a meager $250,000 budget would be tasked to build the entire cement complex, which would be completed in 1912. By the late 1920's the three-story structure was nearly at full capacity.

The original prison blueprints by Major Reuben Turner, a military construction engineer from the 29th Infantry. Turner's escape-proof design featured a fully enclosed building that incorporated the main prison, hospital, kitchen, mess hall, library, shower rooms and auditorium all encapsulated within a single steel-reinforced cement superstructure.

Construction photographs of the main prison taken in roughly 1909-1910.

A photograph showing the original D Block during the final construction phase in March of 1911. Note the dirt floor prior to cementing, the flat steel bars, and the group of open swing-out doors on the second tier.

The Alcatraz Military Prison cellhouse was completed in 1912. This was the largest steel-reinforced concrete structure in the world at the time of its construction, and it was designed to house six hundred inmates. The new military super-prison opened on February 6, 1912.

The main corridor of Alcatraz, known as "Broadway." This 1912 photograph looks toward the east end of the cellhouse. The cell door lock mechanisms were controlled by simple swing arm levers (seen on the left). Also note the absence of the Gun Gallery, as compared to later photographs from the Federal prison period.

The area which would later be known as "Michigan Avenue," in 1912.

A military prison sentry patrolling A Block in 1932.

A view of the ramps leading to the prison auditorium and administration wing. These ramps and spiral staircases were removed from the refurbished cellblocks in 1934.

A view of A Block as it appears today. Also visible is the entrance to the bas.e.m.e.nt or "dungeon" cells as prisoners referred to them.

A modern view of the flat steel bars from the military era. Note the primitive lock bar mechanism.

An early photograph of the new Mess Hall during the military period.

Alcatraz was the Army's first long-term prison, and it was beginning to build its reputation as a tough detention facility by exposing the inmates to severe and harsh confinement conditions and iron-handed discipline. The prisoners were divided into three cla.s.ses based on their conduct and the crimes they had committed, and each cla.s.s held distinct levels of privilege. The system was described in a manual of Alcatraz Rules and Regulations from 1914: Cla.s.sification of Prisoners:.

General Prisoners will be received in first cla.s.s with exceptions made by the Commandant only. Third cla.s.s men will be promoted to second-cla.s.s and second-cla.s.s men to first cla.s.s after two and one half months excellent conduct respectively. Promotions, paroles, and reductions will be made by the Commandant only. Promotion Order will be issued on the 15th of each month. Any first cla.s.s prisoner may be paroled (under 943 A.R.) after serving half of his sentence.... Cla.s.s will be designated by a cloth badge 21/2 inches by1/2 inch, white, red, and yellow for first, second and third cla.s.s respectively, on a brown cloth patch 31/2 by 11/2 inches which will be sewed on a sleeve of right arm above cuff. Paroled prisoners will be designated by a white triangular cloth badge 11/2 inches to a side which will be sewed on the sleeve directly above the cla.s.s badge.

The quarters, mess tables and benches in the a.s.sembly Room of disciples will be separated from those of other general prisoners by an aisle. There will be no correspondence between such prisoners. Similarly the Quarters and Mess tables of enlisted prisoners will be separated from all general prisoners by an aisle.

Privileges:.

Third cla.s.s prisoners will enjoy the letter and tobacco privilege only. Segregated prisoners and 2nd cla.s.s prisoners will enjoy letter and tobacco privileges in addition the library privilege once a week and entertainment privilege once a week, by detachment, as segregated. The second-cla.s.s men making a separate detachment. First cla.s.s prisoners will in addition enjoy the privilege of closed but unlocked door to individual quarters, between Reveille and Tattoo... The disciples will in addition have the privilege of open doors from Reveille to Tattoo, talking in quarters and visiting in day room.

Prisoners who violated the rules faced harsh disciplinary measures. In addition to losing their earned cla.s.s rankings, violators were a.s.signed other punishments including but not limited to hard labor details, wearing a twenty-four pound ball and ankle chain, and solitary lock-downs with a highly restricted bread and water diet. In his book ent.i.tled Alcatraz 1868-1963, author John Goodwin referred to the use of disciplinary cages that were merely twelve inches deep and twenty-three inches wide, thus "forcing anyone locked inside to remain standing throughout his confinement." The cages were used specifically for inmates termed as "conscientious objectors." These were men who had objected to military service during World War I, based on religious or political beliefs. The National Civic Liberty Bureau claimed that several of these inmates were confined in the disciplinary cages for ten-day stretches, and that upon being released they would collapse to the floor. Prison officials, however, claimed that the cages were to be used only in the most extreme cases.

The "Torture Cages" that were installed at Alcatraz during World War I as seen in a San Francisco Examiner ill.u.s.tration. In later years an inmate work crew cleaning out a storage area located a broken pillory device. One of the inmates recalled a guard jokingly referring to it as an "Alcatraz Life Preserver."

A 1918 photograph of the Alcatraz Medical Unit Staff. During this era, the prison maintained an advanced medical center that included full surgical, dental, and laboratory facilities.

The average age of law-offending soldiers was twenty-four and they were generally serving short-term sentences for desertion or lesser crimes. However, it wasn't uncommon to find soldiers serving longer sentences for the more serious crimes of insubordination, a.s.sault, larceny and murder. One interesting element of the military order was that prisoner's cells could be used only for sleeping, unless the prisoner was in lock-down status. All inmates were prohibited from visiting their cells during the day. Inmates with first or second cla.s.s rankings were allowed to go anywhere about the prison grounds, with the firm exception of the guards' quarters on the upper levels.

Despite stringent rules and harsh standards for those convicted of thuggish crimes, Alcatraz primarily functioned in a minimum-security capacity. The types of work a.s.signments given to inmates varied depending on the prisoner, their a.s.signed prison cla.s.s and how responsible they were. Many prisoners worked as general servants, who cooked, cleaned, and attended to household ch.o.r.es for island families. In many cases select prisoners were entrusted to care for children who lived on the island. Alcatraz was also home to several Chinese families who were employed as staff servants, and during this period they represented the majority of the island's civilian population.

The lack of strict focus in the minimum-security environment worked to the advantage of some inmates who hoped to make a break for freedom. Most prisoners never made it to the mainland and more commonly turned back to be rescued. Those who were not missed and failed to turn back would eventually tire and drown. The prison did not start to utilize trained military prison guards until 1907, and up to that point inmates were usually guarded by young garrison soldiers, which sometimes provided seasoned prisoners with valuable opportunities. For this reason, there were numerous escapes during the military era.

In August of 1898, four young soldiers serving time for minor crimes escaped from the prison library and stole a rowboat that was tied under the wharf. The inmates ultimately reached the mainland, but not before one of them had been wounded by a garrison soldier who was on guard at the military wharf. The inmates were able to paddle a considerable distance out, but when one of them missed a stroke, the splash attracted the sentry's attention. The soldier opened fire on the inmates and hit one of them, who dropped into the bottom of the boat screaming and moaning in pain. Another of the inmates stood up and shouted to the soldier, "Don't shoot anymore. Don't you see we've got no oars? We surrender!" The sentry stopped firing and briefly left his post to get a.s.sistance. Having succeeded with their clever ruse, the prisoners quickly pulled out their oars and rowed towards the mainland. A prison break alarm was sounded and the island's five-oared boat was launched. The guards gave chase, but in spite of their best efforts, the prisoners got away. In another incident in 1884, two inmates stole a boat and rowed against the currents to the Marin sh.o.r.es. A sentry spotted the escapees but didn't shoot and the inmates made a successful getaway.

In June of 1900 two inmates worked themselves through a chimney, and using a large section of lumber boarding as a float, they attempted to swim to the mainland. However, they got caught in a whirlpool and remained clinging to the log until they were rescued. In one example of remarkable ingenuity, four prisoners attempted to use a large b.u.t.ter vat as a boat and struggled to paddle the unstable vessel to the San Francisco sh.o.r.e. They were promptly captured when the currents proved too fierce. Other escape attempts involved forgeries of orders, disguises and cutting of bars. Several shooting deaths also resulted from attempted prison breaks. Each of these attempts displayed a certain amount of courage and desperation, coupled with the ingenuity born of constant contemplation under long years in confinement. The obsession of escaping Alcatraz was continuously evident throughout the prison's history.

One of the more interesting escape-related incidents occurred in the fall of 1926, when a crowd of inmates allegedly plotted a ma.s.s prison break. Colonel G. Maury Cralle had recently taken over as Commandant of the Disciplinary Barracks, when rumors began to circulate among the military guards about the mammoth plot. The alleged plan was for all of the inmates who were at work outside of the cellhouse perimeter to rush on signal toward the water's edge, and swim for San Francisco. From the prisoners' viewpoint, the scheme had considerable merit, but Colonel Cralle made the decision to address the inmates before they could attempt any such action. He called all of the inmates working on the labor details into the parade ground area and stood with his back to San Francisco. None of the officers were armed, and Cralle spoke to the men in a soft tone. He explained that he had been made aware of a ma.s.s escape plot and he expressed his opinion of such a foolish strategy. "GO AHEAD, SWIM!" he challenged, giving no indication that he would attempt to stop those who tried. He dared the men to make a run for the water and a.s.sured them that there would be no pursuit. However, he did calmly mention the hungry sharks that would surely attack the large groups of swimmers... and without a single incident; the inmates went back to work.

Colonel G. Maury Cralle.

Perhaps one of the best descriptions of the Military Prison was written in a presentation ent.i.tled: Definition and Operation by Major W.R. Stewart in 1930. Stewart wrote in part: The mission of the United States Disciplinary Barracks is two-fold. First, rehabilitative, and second, punitive. Punishment by confinement at hard labor is not the paramount aim of such inst.i.tutions. The reclamation of the convicted soldier for the Army and society is of equal importance... The Pacific Branch of the United States Disciplinary Barracks is located on Alcatraz Island in San Francis...o...b..y. Here, on this little island, some 600 soldiers are expiating their crimes. Their sentences range from six months to life imprisonment. Approximately 10 percent of them are serving sentences of ten years or more. Over one-third have been sentenced for military offenses, the remainder for misdemeanors and felonies.

The prisoners at this inst.i.tution are subjected to a firm, impartial discipline. Misconduct and misbehavior result in punishment, good conduct is rewarded. The punishments are not cruel but consist of forfeiture of good conduct time, loss of privileges, and solitary confinement for a limited period. The punishment is made to fit the offense and for minor infractions of rules may be only a reprimand or the loss of one or more entertainments. Every infraction is recorded for each prisoner and this record is considered in making work a.s.signments and in taking action on requests for parole, clemency, or restoration.

All men in good standing over 90% of the inmates of the inst.i.tution - are granted all of the privileges allowed by law. Such men are permitted to attend all entertainments, including motion pictures, boxing bouts and shows provided by theatrical organizations of San Francisco and vicinity. They are permitted to write at least two letters weekly, with writing materials and stamps furnished by the government. They are issued tobacco with liberal smoking privileges. A well-stocked library is open to them. When not at work in the daytime they are allowed the freedom of the jail yard for exercise and games. Once a week all men in good standing are permitted to have visitors. Misconduct results in the loss of all privileges for stated periods, in the most refractory cases.

The spiritual welfare of the inmates of this inst.i.tution is the charge of an Army chaplain detailed for this purpose. He holds regular services, teaches Bible cla.s.ses and is the friend and advisor of all. It is also his duty to provide materials for sports and to provide and supervise entertainment...

The living conditions at Alcatraz are not uncomfortable, to say the least. The prison proper is considered to be a model in cleanliness, orderliness, and sanitation. The entire 600 prisoners housed in one great cell room, well lighted and ventilated. Each man has his own private cell, completely equipped. Every necessity is furnished to him. He wears a neat black uniform. His food is that of a soldier of the United States Army, the best fed of all the armies. The prisoner's laundry and dry cleaning are done for him. A sanitary barbershop and baths are open to him daily. And, finally, a well-stocked storeroom is at his service from which he draws, as needed, everything from a toothbrush to a uniform.

Every opportunity possible is afforded the ambitious man for study. Illiterates must attend school daily. For others there is a night school. Many are taking correspondence courses or devoting their evenings to self-study. The prison library has a large and varied selection of technical works. Study is encouraged to the fullest extent possible.

The hours of labor, except for such men as cooks and bakers, are from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with one hour for the noonday meal and Sat.u.r.day afternoon and Sunday off. The prisoners rise at 6 a.m. and go to bed at 9 p.m. Their work varies. Many are engaged in rock quarrying, road building construction and farming. A large number work in the prison itself as clerks, cooks and janitors. In conformity with the mission of the inst.i.tution to prepare prisoners for their return to civil life by teaching them trades, a number of industries are operated for this purpose. A few of these trades are furniture making, tailoring, book making and printing. In all, there are fifty trades open to the ambitious prisoner.

Lest the picture of the prisoner's life seem too roseate let us turn to the other side of the picture. The prisoner, for long, weary months, is under a strict, never ceasing discipline, under which every lapse brings some punishment. He is cut off from all communication with his relatives and friends, except that for one hour weekly his relatives may visit him. Day after day, night after night alluring freedom spreads itself before his eyes across the narrow bay. Narrow it may be, but a gulf to the prisoners, as some of them have discovered, to their cost, in trying to escape by swimming. The city is so close that its sounds and sights are a constant reminder of the freedom that has been lost.

Fremont Older, president and editor of the San Francisco Call Bulletin, seemed to concur with Stewart when he visited the island during the same year. In a 1930 newspaper editorial, he described Alcatraz as one of the cleanest and best-run prisons in the world. He wrote in part: It hasn't the atmosphere, nor the feel of a prison. It is a clean, wholesome place and the five hundred young men who are temporarily abiding there seem more like students in a training school than men convicted of crimes. Alcatraz, being an island, where escape is practically impossible, it is not necessary to have many gunmen in evidence. I saw only two or three of these strolling about with shotguns. The cells where the men sleep are the most comfortable I have ever seen. They are spotlessly clean, contain a wash stand with running water, a flus.h.i.+ng toilet, and a spring bed with a regulation army mattress, as many as eight army blankets, if desired, and a pillow and clean pillow case. Each cell has an electric light.

The food is excellent, as good, I should think, as the average soldier's mess. There is a theatre with a show six nights in the week, a library containing twelve thousand well-selected books, and a playground for tennis and handball. The prisoners all wear a cheerful look and their behavior is excellent. Many of them are at work in the vocational department where trades are taught them. Twenty-six care for the vegetable gardens on Angel Island, and raise sufficient fresh vegetables for the entire prison.

Since January 1, 1915, up to the first of last January, 8,495 men have pa.s.sed through this prison. Out of that number 1,609 have been restored to the colors without a black mark. Five hundred and forty paroled men should be subtracted from those figures; also ten percent should be deducted for men who didn't care to return to the army. Those who are interested in prison reform should visit the disciplinary barracks at Alcatraz.

But despite these glowing reports, the public disliked having an Army prison as a sterile focal point seated right in the middle of the beautiful San Francis...o...b..y. In order to soften the island's appearance, the military made arrangements to have soil from Angel Island brought over and it was spread across the barren acreage of Alcatraz. The Army trained several prisoners as gardeners, and planted several varieties of flowers and foliage. The California Spring and Wild Flower a.s.sociation made contributions of top-grade seeding for plants ranging from rose bushes to lilies. The residents enjoyed tending their gardens and it was said that the landscape work a.s.signments were among the most favored by the prisoners.

Over the decades the prison's routine grew increasingly more relaxed, and recreational activities became more prevalent. In the late 1920's prisoners were permitted to build a baseball field, and even to wear their own baseball uniforms while playing.

Military prisoners at work in the Cobbler Shop.

Prisoners in the Barbershop in the prison bas.e.m.e.nt. Note the shaving mugs lined up along the walls. Each inmate was provided with their own shaving mug for sanitary purposes.

On Friday nights the Army hosted "Alcatraz Fights" featuring boxing matches between inmates selected from among the population of the Disciplinary Barracks. These fights were popular, and they often drew visitors from the mainland who had managed to finagle an invitation. These boxing matches became such an attraction that sold-out arena events were held at Fort Mason, sponsored by local businesses. Patrons received event programs that included business advertis.e.m.e.nts and listings of the inmates' weight cla.s.ses.

In 1934 the Military decided to close the prison due to the high cost of operation, and owners.h.i.+p s.h.i.+fted to the Department of Justice. The Great Depression had become the root of a severe crime surge during the late 20's and 30's, and this gave birth to a new era of organized crime. The gangster era was in full swing, and the nation was a helpless witness to violent crime waves brought on by the twin forces of Prohibition and desperate poverty. The nation watched in fear as influential mobsters and sharply dressed "public enemies" exercised their considerable influence on metropolitan cities and their authorities. Law enforcement agencies were often ill-equipped to deal with the onslaught and would frequently cower before better-armed gangs in shoot-outs and public slayings.

J. Edgar Hoover had been appointed as a.s.sistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1921, and in 1924 he would take over as the Director. This was a position he would hold until his death in 1972. It has been written that Hoover exercised immense power and was a persuasive politician. Together with Attorney General Homer c.u.mmings, Hoover waged a public war against the American gangster and pet.i.tioned for establishment of a "super prison." Future inmates at Alcatraz would later call their home "Hoover's Heaven." A sentence to Alcatraz would come to be seen as the maximum penalty for crime short of execution, and it was reserved for the most violent, predatory, and relentless criminals of the era.

A program cover from one of the many "Alcatraz Fights" events. Originally held in the prison Mess Hall, these fights became so popular that they would eventually develop into small stadium events held at Fort Mason.

A page from the "Alcatraz Fights" event program. Note the inmates' names and weight cla.s.ses, and the various advertisers.

The first known aerial photograph of Alcatraz, taken by the U.S. Army in 1920.

The Model Industries building was completed in the early 1930's. It was an all-concrete, three-story factory building constructed entirely by inmate labor at a cost of only $15,000. Also shown is a modern-day view of how the building appears today.

A press photo from 1933, showing an officer posing next to an abandoned cannon on the parade ground wall. The Military had already decided to close the prison due to the high cost of operation and owners.h.i.+p s.h.i.+fted to the Department of Justice.

J. Edgar Hoover, then the a.s.sistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, waged a public war against the American gangster. Hoover is seen here (center) in a public campaign photograph publicizing the FBI's mission against crime.

Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary.

You are ent.i.tled to food, clothing, shelter and medical attention.

Anything else that you get is a privilege.

- Alcatraz Inmate Regulations, Rule # 5.

Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary.

Alcatraz would soon come to play a major role in the federal government's overdue response to organized crime. If gangsters such as Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly were the symbol of the nation's lawlessness, then Alcatraz would be the national symbol for punis.h.i.+ng the lawless. In this respect, gangsters and Alcatraz were perfect foils in a common tragedy two iconic extremes drawn together on an unavoidable collision course. Thanks to the celebrity status of the American gangster, the stage was set for the birth of a unique detention concept.

Aside from the military prison facilities, the federal government did not establish its own penitentiaries until 1891, so it was forced to incarcerate federally convicted inmates in state and local jails. In the late 1800's, the number of federal prisoners housed in these inst.i.tutions was quite significant. As an example, in January of 1877, twenty-nine of the fifty-two inmates confined at Greystone, the Alameda County Jail located in Pleasanton, California, were federal convicts. But in 1887 the situation changed, as the United States Congress made it illegal for states to hire or contract out the labor of federal prisoners housed in their inst.i.tutions. Up to this point, the federal inmates had cost the states little or nothing, since the prisons benefited financially from inmate labor. To offset operating costs after the new laws came into force, state facilities began charging daily fees for maintaining the incarceration of each inmate. In the early 1900's, these charges ran from thirty to fifty cents a day, per inmate.

In 1891, Congress had authorized construction of three federal prisons. The first of these would be Fort Leavenworth, in Kansas. Leavenworth had originally been a military fortress and it was taken over by the Department of Justice in 1895. A second federal prison opened in Atlanta in 1902, and the third would be a converted territorial jail on McNeil Island in Was.h.i.+ngton's Puget Sound. On May 27, 1930, Congress authorized the establishment of a Federal Bureau of Prisons within the Department of Justice: It is hereby declared to be the policy of the Congress that the said inst.i.tutions be so planned and limited in size as to facilitate the development of an integrated Federal Penal and Correctional System which will a.s.sure the proper cla.s.sification and segregation of federal prisoners according to their character, the nature of the crime they have committed, their mental condition and such other factors as should be taken into consideration in providing an individualized system of discipline, care, and treatment of the persons committed to such inst.i.tutions.

On October 12 1933, the Justice Department announced plans to take over Alcatraz as a federal prison. Alcatraz was officially named as a federal penitentiary on January 1, 1934, during a time of severe economic depression. As a federal "super-prison," Alcatraz would serve the dual purpose of incarcerating the nation's most notorious criminals in a harsh, disciplined environment, and acting as a visible warning to the new brand of criminal, that the federal government meant business. It was designed as a maximum security / minimum privilege inst.i.tution. The Bureau established a strict policy of controlling every piece of information regarding prisoners that was released to the press. Part of the punishment for famous inmates would be never allowing them to see their names in print again. Alcatraz would serve to completely isolate the inmates from the public, and would maintain firm control of every aspect of their daily lives.

Break the laws of society and you go to prison, break the prison-rules and you go to Alcatraz.

The citizens of San Francis...o...b..tterly resented the Bureau's decision to concentrate the nation's worst criminals in the middle of the scenic San Francis...o...b..y. Several public campaigns were led to block this transition, but all were unsuccessful. The Department of Justice called upon patriotic Americans to support the nation's war against crime through the establishment of Alcatraz. The Department also a.s.sured the residents that the prison would be designed as an escape-proof fortress, and that this would completely eliminate any threat that might be posed by escaped prisoners. The project was led by Sanford Bates, Director of the Federal Prisons, James V. Bennett, a.s.sistant Director, and Attorney General Homer c.u.mmings, a.s.sisted by soon-to-be Warden of Alcatraz James A. Johnston, and each of these men had a hand in the design concept.

James A. Johnston, the first appointed warden of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary.

Johnston would later write in his 1949 memoir ent.i.tled Alcatraz and the Men Who Live There: I a.s.sumed office on January 2, 1934. Hour after hour, day after day, I walked back and forth, up and down and around the island, from the dock to the administration building, from the office to the powerhouse, powerhouse to the shops, shops to the barracks, into the bas.e.m.e.nts, up on the roofs, across the yards, through the tunnels: I sent more suggestions to Was.h.i.+ngton...

One of the nation's foremost security experts, Robert Burge, was commissioned to design a prison that was escape-proof as well as be outwardly forbidding. Burge's basic concept would be to fully restrict the movements of all inmates. No longer would prisoners have the right of entry to any part of the island. They would be restricted primarily to the main cellhouse building and pa.s.sage to the Industries would be equally controlled. The main entrance was securely designed so that anyone entering would have to pa.s.s through several gates, with access controlled by an officer stationed in the Armory. The Armory would be a control center that oversaw all movements of people leaving or entering the cellblock. The duty officer could view the sallyport area through a two-inch-thick bulletproof rectangular gla.s.s portal, and the gates were controlled electronically. The sallyport also featured electronically manipulated sliding steel plates on the gate lock mechanisms which s.h.i.+elded the key slots. The Armory officer was the only person who had access to the slide panel. Once the s.h.i.+eld was opened, the officer would need a key to open the first gate manually. There were then two more gates to pa.s.s through before entering the cellhouse. This would become the hallmark of Alcatraz: security safeguards set into layers upon layers of redundancies.

A view of correctional officers standing inside the prison's main sallyport entrance. In the background is the main door to the prison, and of special note is the gate lock mechanism (right). The sallyport featured sliding steel plates on the gate locks, which s.h.i.+elded the key slots. The Armory Officer was the only person who had access to the slide panel. Once the s.h.i.+eld was opened, the officer would use a key to unlock the gate manually.

A view showing the main door open to allow access to the cellhouse.

One of several doc.u.ments authorizing the transfer of military property to the Bureau of Federal Prisons.

Under the transfer agreement from the War Department to the Justice Department, Alcatraz would continue to provide laundry services to the U.S. Army, as well as several other support services. The Army transferred t.i.tle of nearly all of the industry equipment, and established a long-term agreement to provide fresh water delivery, which would continue in force throughout the history of the island. The Army would finally evacuate from the island on June 19, 1934, leaving behind thirty two inmates to a.s.sist in the transition.

Officers could control each cell remotely using pull levers located at the end of each cellblock. The officer could open an individual cell or a group of cells.

In April of 1934, work began to give the prison a new face and sound security features. The Stewart Iron Works Company of Cincinnati, Ohio, was contracted by the Bureau of Prisons to install elaborate precautions that would ostensibly render Alcatraz escape-proof. The guards would have the ability to control each cell remotely, in full view of the gallery officer. By utilizing clutch style linkages and pull levers, the guard would be able to open individual cells, or select groups of cells. The soft squared bars were replaced with modernized tool-proof models. Electricity was routed into each cell and all utility tunnels were cemented to eliminate the inmates' ability to enter or hide in them. Tool-proof iron window coverings would s.h.i.+eld all areas that could be accessed by inmates. Special elevated gun galleries would traverse the cellblock perimeters, allowing guards to carry weapons while secured behind out-of-reach iron rod barriers. These galleries would allow the armed guards to oversee all inmate activities, and thus to safeguard the vulnerable officers who walked the cellhouse floors unarmed.

Gun galleries were positioned at each end of the main cellblock, allowing guards to carry weapons while secured behind iron rod barriers that were beyond the prisoners' reach. These galleries allowed the armed guards to oversee all inmate activities, and to cover the officers who walked the cellhouse floors unarmed.

Metal detectors were positioned at strategic entry and exit points around the prison. Inmates would later affectionately refer to these devices as "stool pigeons" or "snitch boxes," as they were effective in detecting hidden metal contraband. Other detection devices were also utilized throughout the prison's history to discover metallic contraband items.

Special tear-gas canisters were installed in the ceiling of the Dining Hall, which could be remotely activated from both the gun gallery and the outside observation points. Guard towers were strategically positioned around the island's perimeter. A new technology allowed for the use of electromagnetic metal detectors, which were positioned outside the Dining Hall and on prison industry access paths. The prisoners would later affectionately refer to these devices as "mechanical stool pigeons."