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75 years of America's most famous prison - Alcatraz
Prison Alcatraz (Alcatraz), which is located on the same island in San Francisco Bay, and is now a museum this year will mark the 75th anniversary.
The history of this place is rich in events. At various times it housed a fort, a military prison, federal prison and even the settlement of the Indians.
Unlike modern five-star prison, Alcatraz different rules of rigor and tough daily routine. Anti-town is a series of photographs of Alcatraz
In 1775 the Spaniard Juan Manuel de Ayala first came into the San Francisco Bay. His team made a map of the bay and gave its name to La Isla de los Alkatrases (La Isla de los Alcatraces - Gannet Island), one of the three islands, known today as Yerba Buena. It is widely believed that the name could mean "Island of Pelicans" because of the abundance of these birds on the island. However, as reported by birders, no colonies of pelicans, gannets neither, nor on the island, or near there, but many different types of cormorants and other large waterfowl.
In 1828, the English geographer Frederick Captain Beechey wrongly suffered from the Spanish name of the island maps to the nearby, now known as the site of the famous prison, under the name Island Alcatrazes. In 1851, a topographical US Coast Guard has reduced the title to Alcatraz
The discovery of gold in California in 1848 led to the Bay of San Francisco, thousands of ships, thereby creating an urgent need for the lighthouse. The first lighthouse was installed and running on Alcatraz in the summer of 1853. In 1856 the lighthouse installed the bell, which was used in the fog.
Due to the "gold rush" was necessary to protect the bay. In 1850, by decree of the President of the United States on the island began to build a fort, which was established more than 110 long-range guns. Later the fort was used to house prisoners. In 1909, the army demolished it, leaving only the foundation, and by 1912 for the prisoners was a new building.
Located in the middle of the bay with ice-cold water and strong sea currents provide natural isolation of the island. With this Alcatraz was soon considered by the US Army as an ideal place to hold prisoners of war.
Alcatraz was the first military prison longer content and began to win the reputation of the place is different severity against violators who have faced harsh disciplinary measures. The penalty could be appointed to the hard work, a single room in the detention center with a limited diet of bread and water, and this list is not limited.
Due to the high maintenance costs associated with the location, the Defense Ministry decided to close this famous prison in 1934, and she was transferred to the maintenance of the Ministry of Justice.
During the Great Depression (late 1920s - mid 1930s) greatly increased the level of crime and the era of organized crime. In response to a crime gang the government decided to reopen Alcatraz, but as a federal prison. Alcatraz meets the basic requirements: to place dangerous criminals away from society and scare the rest of the criminals who are still at large.
The prison has been reconstructed. During the reconstruction of left untouched only the foundation, and the building was completely rebuilt.
In April 1934, a military prison was given a new face and a new direction. Before reconstruction of the lattice and the bars were made of wood - they were replaced by steel. Each camera was electricity, and all the service tunnels were bricked up to prevent any infiltration of prisoners to hide and escape further. Along the perimeter of the prison housing above the chambers were placed special weapons gallery that allowed guards to keep watch, having been protected with steel rods.
The prison canteen, as the most vulnerable to fights and brawls place was equipped with tear gas canisters, which were located in the ceiling and is controlled remotely. Guard towers were placed around the perimeter of the island in the most strategically appropriate places. The doors were equipped with electrical sensors. Cell block containing a total of 600 cameras and was divided into blocks B, C and D, whereas before renovation prison population has never exceeded 300 prisoners. The introduction of new security measures, along with the cold waters of San Francisco Bay, created a reliable barrier for even the most incorrigible criminals.
The warden was appointed James A. Johnston. Johnston believed in the chained convicts. He believed that the prisoners have to attach to the work on which they would be respected and rewarded for their efforts. Before Alcatraz Johnston was the director in San Quentin prison, where introduced several successful educational programs, favorably act on most of the prisoners. At the same time, Johnston was a disciplinarian. Its rules were the most solid in the correctional system, and the most severe punishment. Johnston is not present at the time hanging out in San Quentin, and he knew how to deal with the most incorrigible criminals.
By imprisonment in Alcatraz is not sentenced courts, there is usually translated the most "distinguished" inmates from other prisons. Alcatraz voluntarily choose to serve his prison term was not. Although some gangsters made exceptions.
The rules have changed dramatically Alcatraz. Now, each prisoner had his own camera and only minimal privileges to obtain food, water, clothing, medical and dental care. Imprisoned in Alcatraz was forbidden to have any personal belongings. Getting privileges to communicate with the visitors visiting the prison library and writing, the prisoner had to earn the hard and impeccable behavior. This works to the prison inmates were not allowed to bad behavior. For the slightest offense, all privileges were removed. Any media in Alcatraz were banned, including reading newspapers. All letters, as in any other prison, prison officials were corrected.
Prison life began to rise at 6:30, the prisoners were given 25 minutes to clean the chamber, after which each prisoner had to go to the grid for the cameras roll. If all were there at 6:55, the individual rows of the chamber is opened one after another, and the prisoners were moved to the prison canteen. He was given 20 minutes to make the food, and then they were built in a line for distribution of prison work. The monotonous cycle of prison routine was relentless, and have not changed for many years. The main corridor of the prison housing inmates called "Broadway" and the chamber on the second floor along this passage was the most desirable in prison. Other cameras were placed at the bottom, were cold, and they often held by staff and inmates.
In the early years of operation of Alcatraz Chief Johnston he supported the policy of silence, which many inmates considered the most unbearable punishment. There were a lot of complaints, demanding her resignation. There were rumors that some prisoners went mad because of this rule. Later the policy of silence has been abolished, and this - one of the few changes in the rules on Alcatraz.
In the east wing were solitary confinement isolators. They did not even have a full closet: a hole drain which ran the guard. The insulator placed without clothes and meager rations on. In closing the cell door had a narrow slit for the transfer of food, which has always been closed, leaving a prisoner in complete darkness. Usually placed in isolation for 1-2 days. The cell was cold and the mattress gave out only at night. This was considered the most stringent punishment for serious violations and misconduct, and that all the prisoners were afraid of punishment.
Among the famous inmates of Alcatraz names like Al Capone (Al Capone), Robert Stroud (Robert Stroud), Machine Gun, George (George Machine Gun).
During 29 years of operation of the prison, allegedly, was not committed any successful escape, but because the five prisoners who tried to escape, unable to find (or alive, not dead), it is impossible to say for sure. Total thirty-four prisoners have organized 14 escape attempts, the two tried to escape twice; seven were shot, two drowned, five missing, the others managed to grab and go back to jail
The most famous escape attempt was made by Frank Morris (Eng. Frank Morris) and brother John (born. John Anglin) and Clarence Anglin (Eng. Clarence Anglin). The three fled from their cells June 11, 1962, has developed one of the most sophisticated escape plans.
For cameras in cell block B is located unprotected service tunnel width of about one meter. Frank Morris brothers Anglin in turn picked out the pieces of damaged concrete moisture to get to the service tunnel. They used for this purpose homemade drill made of a metal spoon soldered with silver from a dime to a motor stolen from the vacuum cleaner. The noise from the makeshift drill was disguised to play for an hour of music. When the hole in the wall was finished, the trio has built in their beds dolls from papier-mâché that their absence was not detected by guards ahead of time.
When everything was ready, the fugitives climbed through the hole and lay it inside the bricks. Then, straightening rods that protect the fan grille, they climbed onto the roof and down to the water drainpipe. There, on a raft of pre-fabricated rubber raincoats, they sailed from the coast at 10 pm.
However, most likely, the fugitives did not swim to shore, sginuv somewhere in the cold waters of the Gulf. Officially they are missing. According to the unofficial version, they could reach the shore and hide. The official investigation into the FBI helped another inmate, Allen West, who prepares an escape, but end up with accomplices did not go.
March 21, 1963 at Alcatraz prison was closed. According to the official version, it was done because of too high costs for the maintenance of prisoners on the island. Prison required repairs in the amount of about 3-5 million dollars. In addition, the content of the prisoners on the island was too expensive in comparison with the mainland prison, t. To. All regularly had to import from the mainland.
After closing discussed many ways to further the use of the island - for example, it was suggested to place there a monument to the UN. In 1969, a group of Indians from different tribes, moved to the island, actually capturing it. This was done because of the federal law on the free relocation of the Indians in 1934. During their stay on the island the Indians burned the buildings in large fires, painted walls. Because of the fires were severely damaged: a holiday home guard, coast guard barracks quarter and the house warden, also received significant damage to many apartments in houses on the island. However, the Indians on the island did not stay long, and in June 1971 by the decision of the US government, they were expelled from Alcatraz.
In 1971, the island made part of the National recreation area "Golden Gate". In 1973, the island opened to tourists, and now it is visited annually by about one million tourists.
The history of this place is rich in events. At various times it housed a fort, a military prison, federal prison and even the settlement of the Indians.
Unlike modern five-star prison, Alcatraz different rules of rigor and tough daily routine. Anti-town is a series of photographs of Alcatraz
In 1775 the Spaniard Juan Manuel de Ayala first came into the San Francisco Bay. His team made a map of the bay and gave its name to La Isla de los Alkatrases (La Isla de los Alcatraces - Gannet Island), one of the three islands, known today as Yerba Buena. It is widely believed that the name could mean "Island of Pelicans" because of the abundance of these birds on the island. However, as reported by birders, no colonies of pelicans, gannets neither, nor on the island, or near there, but many different types of cormorants and other large waterfowl.
In 1828, the English geographer Frederick Captain Beechey wrongly suffered from the Spanish name of the island maps to the nearby, now known as the site of the famous prison, under the name Island Alcatrazes. In 1851, a topographical US Coast Guard has reduced the title to Alcatraz
The discovery of gold in California in 1848 led to the Bay of San Francisco, thousands of ships, thereby creating an urgent need for the lighthouse. The first lighthouse was installed and running on Alcatraz in the summer of 1853. In 1856 the lighthouse installed the bell, which was used in the fog.
Due to the "gold rush" was necessary to protect the bay. In 1850, by decree of the President of the United States on the island began to build a fort, which was established more than 110 long-range guns. Later the fort was used to house prisoners. In 1909, the army demolished it, leaving only the foundation, and by 1912 for the prisoners was a new building.
Located in the middle of the bay with ice-cold water and strong sea currents provide natural isolation of the island. With this Alcatraz was soon considered by the US Army as an ideal place to hold prisoners of war.
Alcatraz was the first military prison longer content and began to win the reputation of the place is different severity against violators who have faced harsh disciplinary measures. The penalty could be appointed to the hard work, a single room in the detention center with a limited diet of bread and water, and this list is not limited.
Due to the high maintenance costs associated with the location, the Defense Ministry decided to close this famous prison in 1934, and she was transferred to the maintenance of the Ministry of Justice.
During the Great Depression (late 1920s - mid 1930s) greatly increased the level of crime and the era of organized crime. In response to a crime gang the government decided to reopen Alcatraz, but as a federal prison. Alcatraz meets the basic requirements: to place dangerous criminals away from society and scare the rest of the criminals who are still at large.
The prison has been reconstructed. During the reconstruction of left untouched only the foundation, and the building was completely rebuilt.
In April 1934, a military prison was given a new face and a new direction. Before reconstruction of the lattice and the bars were made of wood - they were replaced by steel. Each camera was electricity, and all the service tunnels were bricked up to prevent any infiltration of prisoners to hide and escape further. Along the perimeter of the prison housing above the chambers were placed special weapons gallery that allowed guards to keep watch, having been protected with steel rods.
The prison canteen, as the most vulnerable to fights and brawls place was equipped with tear gas canisters, which were located in the ceiling and is controlled remotely. Guard towers were placed around the perimeter of the island in the most strategically appropriate places. The doors were equipped with electrical sensors. Cell block containing a total of 600 cameras and was divided into blocks B, C and D, whereas before renovation prison population has never exceeded 300 prisoners. The introduction of new security measures, along with the cold waters of San Francisco Bay, created a reliable barrier for even the most incorrigible criminals.
The warden was appointed James A. Johnston. Johnston believed in the chained convicts. He believed that the prisoners have to attach to the work on which they would be respected and rewarded for their efforts. Before Alcatraz Johnston was the director in San Quentin prison, where introduced several successful educational programs, favorably act on most of the prisoners. At the same time, Johnston was a disciplinarian. Its rules were the most solid in the correctional system, and the most severe punishment. Johnston is not present at the time hanging out in San Quentin, and he knew how to deal with the most incorrigible criminals.
By imprisonment in Alcatraz is not sentenced courts, there is usually translated the most "distinguished" inmates from other prisons. Alcatraz voluntarily choose to serve his prison term was not. Although some gangsters made exceptions.
The rules have changed dramatically Alcatraz. Now, each prisoner had his own camera and only minimal privileges to obtain food, water, clothing, medical and dental care. Imprisoned in Alcatraz was forbidden to have any personal belongings. Getting privileges to communicate with the visitors visiting the prison library and writing, the prisoner had to earn the hard and impeccable behavior. This works to the prison inmates were not allowed to bad behavior. For the slightest offense, all privileges were removed. Any media in Alcatraz were banned, including reading newspapers. All letters, as in any other prison, prison officials were corrected.
Prison life began to rise at 6:30, the prisoners were given 25 minutes to clean the chamber, after which each prisoner had to go to the grid for the cameras roll. If all were there at 6:55, the individual rows of the chamber is opened one after another, and the prisoners were moved to the prison canteen. He was given 20 minutes to make the food, and then they were built in a line for distribution of prison work. The monotonous cycle of prison routine was relentless, and have not changed for many years. The main corridor of the prison housing inmates called "Broadway" and the chamber on the second floor along this passage was the most desirable in prison. Other cameras were placed at the bottom, were cold, and they often held by staff and inmates.
In the early years of operation of Alcatraz Chief Johnston he supported the policy of silence, which many inmates considered the most unbearable punishment. There were a lot of complaints, demanding her resignation. There were rumors that some prisoners went mad because of this rule. Later the policy of silence has been abolished, and this - one of the few changes in the rules on Alcatraz.
In the east wing were solitary confinement isolators. They did not even have a full closet: a hole drain which ran the guard. The insulator placed without clothes and meager rations on. In closing the cell door had a narrow slit for the transfer of food, which has always been closed, leaving a prisoner in complete darkness. Usually placed in isolation for 1-2 days. The cell was cold and the mattress gave out only at night. This was considered the most stringent punishment for serious violations and misconduct, and that all the prisoners were afraid of punishment.
Among the famous inmates of Alcatraz names like Al Capone (Al Capone), Robert Stroud (Robert Stroud), Machine Gun, George (George Machine Gun).
During 29 years of operation of the prison, allegedly, was not committed any successful escape, but because the five prisoners who tried to escape, unable to find (or alive, not dead), it is impossible to say for sure. Total thirty-four prisoners have organized 14 escape attempts, the two tried to escape twice; seven were shot, two drowned, five missing, the others managed to grab and go back to jail
The most famous escape attempt was made by Frank Morris (Eng. Frank Morris) and brother John (born. John Anglin) and Clarence Anglin (Eng. Clarence Anglin). The three fled from their cells June 11, 1962, has developed one of the most sophisticated escape plans.
For cameras in cell block B is located unprotected service tunnel width of about one meter. Frank Morris brothers Anglin in turn picked out the pieces of damaged concrete moisture to get to the service tunnel. They used for this purpose homemade drill made of a metal spoon soldered with silver from a dime to a motor stolen from the vacuum cleaner. The noise from the makeshift drill was disguised to play for an hour of music. When the hole in the wall was finished, the trio has built in their beds dolls from papier-mâché that their absence was not detected by guards ahead of time.
When everything was ready, the fugitives climbed through the hole and lay it inside the bricks. Then, straightening rods that protect the fan grille, they climbed onto the roof and down to the water drainpipe. There, on a raft of pre-fabricated rubber raincoats, they sailed from the coast at 10 pm.
However, most likely, the fugitives did not swim to shore, sginuv somewhere in the cold waters of the Gulf. Officially they are missing. According to the unofficial version, they could reach the shore and hide. The official investigation into the FBI helped another inmate, Allen West, who prepares an escape, but end up with accomplices did not go.
March 21, 1963 at Alcatraz prison was closed. According to the official version, it was done because of too high costs for the maintenance of prisoners on the island. Prison required repairs in the amount of about 3-5 million dollars. In addition, the content of the prisoners on the island was too expensive in comparison with the mainland prison, t. To. All regularly had to import from the mainland.
After closing discussed many ways to further the use of the island - for example, it was suggested to place there a monument to the UN. In 1969, a group of Indians from different tribes, moved to the island, actually capturing it. This was done because of the federal law on the free relocation of the Indians in 1934. During their stay on the island the Indians burned the buildings in large fires, painted walls. Because of the fires were severely damaged: a holiday home guard, coast guard barracks quarter and the house warden, also received significant damage to many apartments in houses on the island. However, the Indians on the island did not stay long, and in June 1971 by the decision of the US government, they were expelled from Alcatraz.
In 1971, the island made part of the National recreation area "Golden Gate". In 1973, the island opened to tourists, and now it is visited annually by about one million tourists.
