Today in History—August 11: America’s Escape-Proof Prison Opens
In 1933 Sanford Bates, director of the newly created U.S. Bureau of Prisons, wrote to the wardens of the country’s five federal penitentiaries with a request: Send “the most desperate or irredeemable” criminals, men who deserved maximum-security and minimum privileges in America’s newest prison.
The wardens obliged.
On this day in 1934, Alcatraz welcomed its first civilian prisoners, a group of 14 from the federal penitentiary on McNeil Island, Washington. The move was part of the government’s efforts to combat the upswing in crime that had come with Prohibition, and Alcatraz was, well, fortified.
“The Rock” had already lived several lives since it was acquired by the U.S. government. It first was the site of a fort to defend San Francisco during the Gold Rush. The island’s isolation was noted as an advantage, making it an ideal location for a prison. It evolved into a disciplinary barracks, setting the stage for Alcatraz to become the site of the country’s most notorious federal penitentiary.
It was designed to be as self-sustaining as possible: There was a print shop, bakery, hospital, fire station, and housing for employees. There was a chaplain, psychiatrist, and visiting dentist.
The who’s-who of America’s criminals would soon reside there, including Al Capone and Machine Gun Kelly. But on August 11, it welcomed a group whose crimes—mainly counterfeiting, bank robbery, and murder—had made fewer headlines. Their previous warden described them as “slippery,” “agitators,” and most of all, “desperate.” They joined the inmates who remained from the island’s days as a military prison.
“Fourteen crates furniture from McNeil received in good condition,” Bates wrote after the Rock’s newest residents settled into their new routines.
The original 52 prison guards brought their families, including children, to live on the island.
And Alcatraz sure placed a premium on routine. A day began at 6:00 am with wake-up and roll call, followed by breakfast (oatmeal, sausage, fried potatoes, toast, margarine, milk, and coffee). Prisoners who’d earned the privilege reported to work; those who hadn’t returned to their cells. Lunch at 11:30 am (bean soup, roast beef, gravy, beans, mashed potatoes, and coffee) preceded another work period that stretched ‘til 4:00 pm. After another roll call came dinner (pork and beans, cornbread, potato salad, apricots, margarine, and coffee) and evening free time, when prisoners could read, play music, or (later) listen to radio.
The next shipment, 53 “crates” from Atlanta, arrived on August 22. That boat included Capone.
- 36: Men who attempted to escape Alcatraz
- 211: Prisoners transferred in that first month
- 8 × 4 feet: Size of most cells
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- 1929: Babe Ruth becomes the first pro baseball player to hit 500 home runs
- 1973: DJ Kool Herc helps found hip-hop at a back-to-school party in the Bronx
