Alcatraz: A Definitive History of the Penitentiary Years Part 5

The infamous so-called "Dungeons of Alcatraz" were the subject of countless news stories in the early years of the prison. The dungeons or "lower solitary" as they were referred to in inmate case files, consisted of eight cells located below A and D Blocks. Officer Robert Baker recalled that whenever inmates were subject to confinement in these harsh cells, the officers would purposely escort the inmate down the A Block steps, and then after a couple of days of confinement, bring the inmate back on the D Block side and into a segregation. This deceptive practice made fellow inmates believe that disciplinary cases that were thrown into the dungeon would be left there for months. It proved to be a considerable deterrent.

The bas.e.m.e.nt "dungeon" cells were primarily used in only the most serious disciplinary cases, until 1938, when the cell fronts were finally dismantled. They would also become the focal point in the famous 1940 trial of Henri Young for the murder of fellow inmate Rufus McCain (this incident is chronicled in a later chapter). Warden Johnston would openly testify that Young and several other inmates had been confined in "lower solitary" for serious violations of various prison regulations. One of Young's attorneys disputed this, emphasizing his contention that inmates were thrown into the dungeons for "trivial offenses," though this was never proven.

It was alleged that inmates were placed into the dark dungeon cells without bedding, and without any form of lighting. These claims were later strengthened by former inmate Harmon Waley in later interviews. Waley had spent seven of his 22 years on the Rock in isolation or segregation.

In Young's case, Johnston testified that the prisoner had been confined in the bas.e.m.e.nt cells on at least three occasions, and was forced to sleep on the cement floors without any type of bedding or pillow. The cells had no running water or toilet, and inmates were forced to blindly use a bucket which would be emptied only once or twice a day. Waley claimed that some inmates would protest throwing the contents into the walkways where the officers would frequent. He indicated that the prison physician demanded the inmates be removed from these deplorable conditions, and later refused to enter the bas.e.m.e.nt due to the stench.

The bas.e.m.e.nt cells were damp and poorly ventilated. Warden Johnston described during trial testimony the "restricted diet" that inmates would be served during their stay in solitary confinement: If a prisoner is placed in solitary in the morning, after he has had his breakfast, he is furnished bread at the noonday meal, and salads and one-fourth of the evening meal from the regular main-line menu. If he is placed in solitary in the afternoon, that is after he has had his full noonday meal, then he get only bread for the evening meal.

In all cases the second day menu consists of a breakfast of cereal, milk and coffee; the noonday meal, bread and soup; the evening meal is one fourth of the allowance form the regular main line menu leaving out the soup but feeding the salad and greens and bread and the hot drink, whether it happens to be tea or coffee.

On the third day a man in solitary receives the full dinner meal at noon, also the one quarter quant.i.ty, that is the light breakfast or cereal and milk and coffee and the light supper consisting of the salad and greens and bread and hot beverage, tea or coffee.

If an individual is continued in solitary past the third day, then the fourth day is the same as that prescribed as the second day, the fifth day the same, and the sixth day he gets a full meal again at dinner and the light breakfast and light supper, just the same as the third day.

Sometimes the menu is added to on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer, even during the earlier stages of incarceration in solitary or isolation. When a prisoner is removed from solitary and it is thought necessary to keep him in open isolation for a longer period of time, he begins his time in isolation with one full meal and two light meals each day. If he is continued in isolation for more than a week, he is given two full meals and one light meal daily. If it is decided to keep him in isolation for a long period of time, he is given three full meals a day, the same as the main line.

The inmates in solitary would also be provided with a water basin that was always kept full under the Warden's orders. Many of the inmates who testified during the Young trial, including Harold Brest, George Miller, Samuel Berlin, Burton Phillips, James Grove and Harmon Waley, all stated that they had served stretches ranging from seven to ten days without proper meals, living strictly on small portions of bread and water.

Alcatraz inmate Harold Brest being led to court to testify against conditions at Alcatraz.

George Miller.

Harmon Waley.

Names etched into the masonry walls by inmates confined in the dungeon cells.

Mug shots of Alcatraz inmate Jack Allen.

Edward Bearden.

The use of solitary confinement at Alcatraz was put on trial again in another incident that is described in the official digest from the Young trial testimony transcript. Inmate Samuel Berlin testified that on this occasion, inmate Jack Allen had rattled his cup along his cell bars to gain the attention of a correctional officer. When the officers arrived, he explained that he was sick and needed a doctor. Berlin claimed that Allen was reprimanded for making excessive noise, and that when he again started yelling for a doctor, he was thrown into the Hole. He was heard by other inmates pleading for blankets, and was allegedly found dead fifty-two hours later. A letter explaining his death, submitted by Chief Medical Officer Dr. George Hess to the United States Surgeon General, only seemed to complicate the matter further. Their correspondence was entered as evidence in the trial, and the defense attorneys systematically ill.u.s.trated how inmate Allen had been abandoned, which was said to have contributed to his death. The letter written by Hess to the Surgeon General on January 23, 1936 proved extremely detrimental to the administration's case. It read: I have the honor to present a resume of the case of Jack Allen, No. 211, an inmate of this inst.i.tution who died on January 17, 1936.

On January 13, 1936, the above inmate named man called for the doctor. Doctor Jacobsen was on duty and responded to the call. After an examination of the patient the doctor decided that there was no acute pathology present but did give the man some medicine. He then instructed the guard on duty not to call him anymore about this case, that the patient would be all right.

At midnight the guard was changed and the retiring guard informed the new guard that the doctor did not care to be bothered anymore for this case.

At about 1:00 A.M. January 14th, the patient created a noise by groaning and was placed in isolation so that he would not disturb the rest of the inmates.

The following morning at 8:00 A.M., I saw the patient in the cellhouse and immediately had him brought to the hospital. Shortly after admitting him to the hospital I made a tentative diagnosis of a probable perforated gastric ulcer. We decided that an operation was in order and at 1:15 P.M., an exploratory operation was started. Upon entering the abdominal cavity there was found about 11/2 quarts of free fluid and a generalized peritonitis accompanying a perforated gastric ulcer on the lesser curvature near the pylorus on the anterior surface of the stomach. A Castrorrhaphy was done and drain tube placed in the operative wound coming out.

The patient was put to bed and was given the proper postoperative treatment such as suction through the nasal tube to the stomach, glucose and saline and other supportive measures.

At 1:00 P.M., January 16th, the patient appeared to be making an uneventful recovery from the operation. By 7:00 P.M. that same day he developed signs and symptoms of pneumonia and by 11:00 P.M. the entire right lobe was consolidated. The next morning there developed an acute edema of the left chest and the patient became unconscious, remaining in this condition until he died at 1:28 P.M., January 17, 1936.

The post mortem examination had to be partial because of the uncertainly of his relatives claiming his body. I examined the abdomen through the operative wound and found that the peritonitis had practically cleared up, there was little free fluid in the abdominal cavity and no abscess formation. The omentum which was placed over the repaired ulcer was adherent and upon examination of the Castrorrhaphy it was found that repair had been successful.

The unfortunate thing is that the doctor did not recognize the condition at the first visit and although this might not have played a major part in the fatal outcome it certainly made a very bad impression on the inmate population and on others. Another unfortunate thing, for the patient, was the more or less general feeling that the man exaggerated minor complaints.

This is the first mortality at this station under the present regime. It is unfortunate that it had to happen at this time when the inmates were in a state of unrest. It seemed to be the spark that was needed by the leader to incite followers into rioting.

Berlin also testified about another inmate named Edward Bearden, who was likewise apparently left in solitary and became mortally ill. Berlin claimed that Bearden's pleas for help went unheeded and that he too later died. It was this type of testimony that eventually led to a conviction of involuntary manslaughter for Young, as he was judged to have suffered overly severe punishment by prison staff.

Despite the harsh allegations against Alcatraz and its treatment of prisoners, many inmates also provided positive testimony on behalf of the prison. These supporters claimed that if you followed the rules, Alcatraz was the best penitentiary in which to be incarcerated. They maintained that Warden Johnston was an advocate of inmate rights and rehabilitation, and would not tolerate any form of intentional maltreatment. It should also be noted that during this period, the bread and water "restricted diet" rule was common policy under the Bureau for inmates being held in solitary confinement for serious misconduct. Most other federal inst.i.tutions employed the same policy for unmanageable inmates.

Warden Johnston indicated in his personal memoir that he did not particularly like utilizing the dungeons as a form of punishment. One telling section reads: When we took over the island in 1934 we did not like the disciplinary cells that were inherited with the building. The Army had solitary cells on one of the top tiers (A-Block) and the dungeon cells in the bas.e.m.e.nt... the brick walls of which were often damp. They dungeons were badly located, poorly constructed and unsafe because they were easy to dig out of and in the few instances where we did use them we had to chain the men to keep them from breaking out... I did not like these cells, in fact I was ashamed of them and were used only under necessity.

Charles Berta, considered by several correctional officers as the toughest inmate ever incarcerated at Alcatraz. He was the last inmate ever to be confined in the bas.e.m.e.nt dungeon.

The last inmate to serve time in the dungeon was Charles Berta. Berta had been convicted of mail robbery and aggravated a.s.sault and he was known as a frequent visitor to the dungeon at Alcatraz. Correctional Officer Clifford Fish remembered Berta as the toughest inmate that any of the guards would ever encounter at Alcatraz. He had previously partic.i.p.ated in one of the most violent escape attempts ever made at Leavenworth, resulting in the violent deaths of two officers. At Alcatraz, Berta held a reputation for violent outbursts toward correctional staff and fellow inmates and in early 1938 he viciously attacked an officer. Following this incident, several officers "drag" Berta to the A Block bas.e.m.e.nt entry for placement in isolation.

Officer Fish would later describe seeing a.s.sociate Warden Miller "kick" Berta down the cement stairs. When the prisoner reached the bottom, he was found to be almost completely unscathed and he continued to resist forcefully by kicking and thras.h.i.+ng. Berta was handcuffed to the bars face forward in a standing position and was left in the darkness of the dungeon for almost eight hours. The a.s.sociate Warden then came and personally removed the inmate to a standard isolation cell. Following this event, both Johnston and Miller ordered that the bars be removed from the dungeon cells and the dungeons were banned from any future use. Officer Fish stated that he was one of the guards a.s.signed to remove the bars using welding torches (Fish was a certified welder and also later taught Berta the welding craft and claimed he was one of his best students).

After the cell bars were removed in 1938, the dungeons were never used again. Berta would become a model inmate, and following his direct release from Alcatraz in 1949, he owned and operated a bar on Mission Street in San Francisco.

Solitary Confinement (D Block).

D Block as it looked in 1934, with flat soft iron bars.

The new Treatment Unit under construction in 1941.

D Block in April 1941, following a complete reconstruction. Note the closed-front solitary cells to the right. The remainder of the open-front cells were considerably larger than those in the main cellblock. The new unit, generally referred to as "Segregation," "Isolation," or the "Treatment Unit," consisted of forty-two cells.

Inmate Earl c.o.x was the first prisoner to serve time in the strip cell, in 1941.

The six solitary confinement cells in D Block.

Serious violators of the prison rules were locked in a pitch-black strip cell with no clothing or blankets during the day, where they could only sit or lie on cold steel flooring. There was a hole in the floor for the inmate to relieve himself, and the contents could only be flushed remotely by a guard. The maximum duration permitted for confinement in full darkness was nineteen days. At night, inmates were provided with a mattress and a set of blankets. These were removed immediately at daybreak.

An inmate's view from inside "The Hole" with the solid steel door closed.

In October of 1940, work began to completely refurbish the Treatment Unit, otherwise known as D Block. This area was comprised of forty-two cells which were used for varying degrees of punishment. For the most serious infractions of prison rules and regulations, inmates could be confined to the "Strip Cell". This cell was by all accounts the most severe punishment any human could endure. Among other discomforts, the total absence of light a.s.sured complete depravation of all peripheral senses.

The single Strip Cell was a dark steel-encased cell with no toilet or sink. There was only a hole in the floor for the prisoner to relieve himself and even the ability to flush the contents was controlled by a guard. Inmates were placed in the cell without clothing and put on restricted diets. The cell had a standard set of bars with an expanded opening through which food was pa.s.sed, and a solid steel outer door that remained closed, leaving the inmate in a pitch-black environment. Inmates were usually only subjected to this degree of punishment for one or two days. The cell was cold, and a sleeping mattress was only allowed after lights out at 9:30 p.m. It was considered the most invasive type of punishment for severe violations and misconduct, and was generally feared by the inmates.

The cold steel flooring inside the isolation and segregation cells.

Another view of D Block. Note the door access panel to the left. The cells to the immediate left are two shower stalls. Inmates held in segregation were allowed two showers and one visit to the recreation yard per week.

Period Diagrams showing the state-of-the-art remote-controlled door access features.

The wrap-around Gun Gallery located in D Block. Note the rounded gun ports on each tier. This photograph shows the Gun Gallery in its modern form, with the armored panels that were installed following the 1946 ma.s.s escape attempt. Another view from the inside the Gun Gallery shows the door control panel.

D Block.

The standard "Hole" cells were similar to the Strip Cell, and it included the five remaining dual-door cells on the bottom tier of D Block. These cells contained a sink and a toilet and were lit by a 25-watt light bulb. Inmates could spend up to nineteen days in this level of isolation, which was also considered to be a severe punishment by the general population of inmates. The mattresses were taken away during the day and the inmate was left in a state of constant boredom and severe deprivation. Guards would sometimes open the small cover on the solid steel outer door, to admit light for inmates who were serving their time in solitary peacefully. Some inmates claimed that the policies by prison staff on confinement were not followed and applied indiscriminately. Former inmate, Robert Luke (1118-AZ) claimed during interviews that he had been placed in a strip cell for 29-days and was given only bread and water, and on every third day, a raw onion, a potato and peas.

The remaining thirty-six segregation cells were similar in design to the cells of the general population. One exception was that all of the cells in D Block had steel floors, ceilings and walls for greater security. The West Gun Gallery officer operated the door mechanisms for the cells along the bottom tier from a remote control panel located in the secure gallery. The Bureau of Prisons described these facilities as follows: A special treatment unit called D Block, is walled off from the rest of the inst.i.tution for the housing of those few prisoners who must be kept locked in their cells at all times except for certain periods of exercise in the yard. In this unit some of the cell doors are operated electronically but are controlled by the cell house officer and the officer in the gun gallery working together. When a door is to be opened, the cell house officer pushes the appropriate b.u.t.ton in his control box and then signals to the officer in the gallery. The latter then presses an electronic b.u.t.ton in his control box, which opens the door.

Inmates held in segregation were allowed only one visit to the recreation yard and two showers per week; the remaining time was spent in their cells. All meals in segregation were served in the cells and the only means of psychological escape was through reading. Many inmates considered the city views from D Block to be an additional form of torment. Former inmate James Quillen later recounted that inmates could frequently hear tourist cruise boat narrators talking about the prison as they pa.s.sed by. On New Year's Eve, the laughter from the sh.o.r.eline Yacht Club could be heard sharply inside the inmate cells when the window vents were left open. Quillen would recall that a strange calm would blanket the cellblock as the inmates lay in their bunks listening to the sounds of distant voices. Pleasure boats would pa.s.s the island resonating feminine laughter. In many cases, the prisoners hadn't seen or heard a woman's voice during the entire period of their incarceration, except when watching movies in the prison theatre. The sounds and sights of freedom were so near, and yet so far...

Perhaps one of the most notable inmates to serve time in D Block was a fifty-two-year-old convict named Robert Stroud (a.k.a., the Birdman of Alcatraz). Stroud was one of the few inmates to be placed directly into Alcatraz's Segregation Unit, bypa.s.sing the standard quarantine process. Stroud spent seventeen years on Alcatraz and was never introduced into the general population. Like Al Capone, Stroud had enjoyed many privileges not extended to fellow inmates during his previous residence at Leavenworth, and he lost them all when he came to live out the rest of his life in solitary confinement at Alcatraz.

Religious Services and Education.

The Alcatraz Prison Chapel, located in the upstairs auditorium. The Chapel was built almost entirely by the inmates themselves.

Father Clark (at left) standing at the altar inside the Prison Chapel.

Like every other benefit at Alcatraz, attending religious services was considered an earned privilege and not a right. In the early years, inmates who chose to attend religious services forfeited an equal amount of recreation time. The administration felt that the inmate population would attend services just to have time outside of their cell. Warden Johnston later relaxed this rule and interestingly enough, this did not increase attendance at any of the services. The religious services were held in the upstairs auditorium where inmates usually enjoyed watching motion pictures.

A 1949 Easter Sunday service program from Alcatraz.

A service program showing a reading led by Bonnie and Clyde's former chauffeur, Floyd Hamilton.

A contemporary photograph showing the entrance to the Chapel from the administration area.

Separate services were provided for the prisoners of various denominations. The Pastor of the Calvary Presbyterian Church of San Francisco held Protestant services in the chapel on the first and third Sunday of the month. A priest from St. Anne's Church in San Francisco conducted Catholic services on the second and fourth Sunday of every month. And on some occasions, a visiting Rabbi and members of the Jewish Committee on Personal Service held Jewish services.

The Chaplains, or "Sky Pilots" as inmates commonly referred to them were permitted to make Sat.u.r.day visits to the recreation yard with the prisoners. The Chaplain would spend his time offering personal counsel to those who sought a.s.sistance. The resident Chaplain (a position that was established in 1936) was also granted an active seat on the Cla.s.sification Committee. This committee was comprised of senior correctional officers, chief medical officer and the Warden. The committee reviewed the progress of each inmate and recommended programs to help in their rehabilitation. The most famous inmate to a.s.sume the role of altar boy was Machine Gun Kelly and he held the position for several years. The Chaplain also a.s.sisted in facilitating and providing oversight of the educational programs for inmates. A Bureau of Prisons bulletin offered inmates various programs in which to enroll: For those interested in really improving their time, extension courses are available through the courtesy and cooperation of The University of California, Pennsylvania State College, and the International Correspondence School. Because of s.p.a.ce limitations and the essential restrictions of maximum custody, cla.s.sroom activity is not possible. However, inmate students show keen interest in education and enroll in a variety of subjects ranging from differential calculus to foreign languages to English and engineering. Art, too, is a popular outlet; approximately twenty percent of the population do some painting in oils or in pastels. Exhibitions of their work have been displayed in the San Francisco area and in Was.h.i.+ngton, D.C.

A request to the chaplain by George "Machine Gun" Kelly to be allowed to take an elementary Spanish course.

The Prison Industries.

Inmates in the recreation yard lining up in single file, awaiting a count and escort to their work a.s.signment.

Inmates lined up according to their work a.s.signment.

Prisoners are seen here walking down through a metal detector on their way to their work a.s.signment in the Industries. The small building in the foreground is the dry-cleaning plant.

A photograph series showing the Tailor and Glove Shops.

A distant view of an inmate at work in the Cobbler Shop.

The Blacksmith Shop.

The New Industries Building under construction in 1940. Note the special barbwire walkway constructed for inmates to pa.s.s over, and the small protruding island (left) known as "Little Alcatraz."

A correctional officer sitting next to office chairs built by Alcatraz inmates.

Office furniture built by prison labor at Alcatraz.

A present-day view of the Prison Industries Building.

The interior of the abandoned New Industries Building following the prison's closure. All that remains is the rusted equipment left from the prison.

A present day view of the old Model Industries Building. Following the completion of the New Industries Building in 1941, the upper floors were abandoned and used only for storage.

Coast Guard survey photos showing the workshops following the prison's closure.

Warden Johnston believed in managing Alcatraz as an inst.i.tution for rehabilitation. When Johnston a.s.sumed his post as Warden in 1934, he brought with him the vision that Alcatraz would not be the final stop for any inmate. He wrote that after his tenure at Folsom and San Quentin, that if he had to manage any prison upon condition, that his choice would be only one thing, an agency for reform. Johnston wanted the inmates to develop work skills that they could carry with them to the outside. He felt the rigid structure would offer his men an advantage back in the outside world as they would become accustomed to a hard day's work and a strong work ethic. Inmates earned their right to work by conforming to the rules and regulations of the prison. Phil Bergen later recalled: At Alcatraz, we always a felt a greater responsibility towards the inmates rather than simply confining them. Inmates learned skills that could be translated to meaningful employment upon their release. Many inmates took considerable pride in the quality of their work. Whether it was making furniture or cleaning an a.s.signed area, the inmates usually did exceptional work.

In 1960, the Bureau of Prisons published an informational booklet that briefly described the operational features of Alcatraz. One of the items featured was the Prison Industries: Alcatraz, in common with other inst.i.tutions throughout the Federal Prison System carries out a program of constructive work activity for all inmates who are physically qualified. All employment other than that needed for the maintenance of the prison is under the jurisdiction of Federal Prison Industries, Incorporated. Men a.s.signed to the various shops receive modest wages, as well as certain reductions in sentence over and beyond that regularly awarded for proper conduct and good behavior in prison.

Industrial units in operation on the island include a glove factory, rubber mat shop, clothing factory, a brush shop, and a furniture factory. The shops and factories perform contract services for the armed forces. The Alcatraz branch of Prison Industries has been awarded numerous commendations for its contribution to national defense during World War II and the fighting in Korea.

Prisoners are not forced to partic.i.p.ate in the industrial program at Alcatraz. However, all prisoners in work status are required to work on a.s.signed tasks. A large percentage prefer a.s.signments in industries and usually volunteer immediately after arriving at the inst.i.tution. Other than the therapeutic value offered by gainful employment in prison, the inmates are zealous to earn the wages paid and make regular contributions to their dependants or acc.u.mulate savings for use following release.

Inmates employed in the Prison Industries were also compensated by having time deducted from their sentences. The accrual rate was minimal. On average, each inmate would be awarded two days off his sentence per month. Johnston introduced a work-for-pay program that incorporated four grade levels of compensation based on trade skills. Monetary wages generally ranged from five to twelve cents per hour. By the time of the prison's closure in 1963, the top grade rate was over thirty cents per hour.

The prison at Alcatraz was kept spotlessly clean. Even the correctional staff maintained the areas that were not accessible to inmates, with exceptional pride. Cliff Fish remembers working a s.h.i.+ft in the East Gun Gallery and finding a small graffiti message written with a laundry marker on the second-tier wall. Correctional Officer Freeman Pepper wished to communicate his frustration with someone who had dropped a sticky substance on the gallery floor and he wrote the following message: I've labored long, and labored hard, to make myself some riches. But I'll gladly pay good money, to the guy that will snitch on the son-of-a-b.i.t.c.h, who smeared my floor with honey.

The regulations at Alcatraz decreed: "There is no commissary at Alcatraz... The inst.i.tution supplies all your needs. " From the beginning this rule created conflict between the administration and working inmates, especially for the prisoners serving long sentences, who had little interest in building savings accounts. Alcatraz was the only prison within the federal system that did not allow the purchase of special toiletries, candy or even filtered cigarettes. The administration controlled purchases by inmates, which were limited to authorized magazine subscriptions, musical instruments, and only a handful of other articles.

The Prison Hospital.

The Prison Hospital at Alcatraz.

The X-Ray suite. Many inmates trained to become X-Ray technicians, and found successful employment following their release.

The Operating Room as it appeared in 1956.

The "Bug Room." Note the ubiquitous tile surface, even on the door. The barred door resembling a cell is actually the entrance to the hospital shower.