Alcatraz, a prison in the sea
Surrounded by strong currents and fortified by steel and concrete, the Alcatraz federal prison was meant to be the highest-security prison in America, a place no one could escape from. The island on which it rests shuns even plant life. Alcatraz is essentially a rock surrounded by water — hence its forbidding nickname “The Rock“.
Alcatraz was designed to serve as America’s first maximum-security, minimum-privilege penitentiary, what is today referred to as a “super max” institution. From 1934 to 1963, Alcatraz housed some of America’s most notorious offenders, escape artists, gang leaders and general trouble makers. They were held under the most secure and regimented conditions, in the virtually escape-proof environment on a rocky island in the middle of San Francisco Bay.
Location
Alcatraz was sometimes called the “prison within the prison system”, since the only inmates sent there were transferred from other federal prisons. Courts could not sentence anyone to Alcatraz. Instead, the Rock was where the authorities sent its most troublesome prisoners until it was decided they could be safely returned to a lower-security institution. Their average stay was five years.
One of the many myths about Alcatraz is that it was impossible to survive a swim from the island to the mainland because of sharks. In fact, there are no “man-eating” sharks in San Francisco Bay, only small bottom-feeding sharks. The main obstacles were the cold temperature (averaging 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit), the strong currents, and the distance to shore (at least 1-1/4 miles).
Today the Alcatraz penitentiary is a museum and one of San Francisco’s major tourist attractions, attracting some 1.5 million visitors annually.
To get to Alcatraz, you will need to reserve your tickets (US$30) with http://www.alcatrazcruises.com – the official website for tours to Alcatraz island. Tickets can sell out a few days in advance so you must reserve and pay for your tickets online early if you have a tight itinerary in San Francisco. If you intend to walk in and purchase the tickets on the spot, you will most likely have no chance of getting on the island.
Customers purchasing and printing Alcatraz tickets on the web should arrive at Pier 33, Alcatraz Landing, with their photo ID. Photo ID’s are not necessary for every person in the party, but are required for the person who purchased the tickets. For first-timers to San Francisco, it is easy to get confused with the Pier numberings – you might be familiar with Pier 39 Fisherman’s Wharf but note that Pier 33 is nowhere near Pier 39. Familiarise yourself with how to get to Pier 33 and how long you need to get there because if you missed the timing you reserved, you will miss your tour.
Do note the return boat schedule so you don’t miss the last boat home and end up staying the night in the eerie Alcatraz cellhouse (it is known as one of the most haunted places in the States). Do arrive a few minutes before the return timing as there will likely be a long queue for the boat back to mainland.
History and visit
Most people know that Alcatraz was once a world-famous federal penitentiary, but the island’s history before and after the penitentiary era is less well known. For example, few realize that it was also the site of the first American lighthouse on the West Coast and that the island served as a huge harbor defense fort during the Civil War. After the fort became obsolete, the U.S. Army turned the island into a grim military prison. Following the closing of the Alcatraz penitentiary, Alcatraz became the site of a American Indian protest movement. On 9 November 1969, a group of Native Americans landed on the island and claimed it in the name of the “Indians of all Tribes”. This occupation lasted almost 19 months. You will still be able to see remnants of the occupation on the island e.g. the “Indians Welcome” sign you see when you first arrive on Alcatraz.
After you disembark from the boat, you will need to walk for about 10 minutes to reach the cellhouse where you will be provided with an audio guide. Do note that the roads and walkways on Alcatraz are steep. The distance from the dock to the cell house is approximately 0.4km and the elevation change is 40 meters, the equivalent of walking up a 13 story building. The roads and walkways are wide with several places to stop along the way to rest and take in the breathtaking views.
With the Alcatraz Cruises tour, you are provided with a 45-minute audio presentation “Doing Time: The Alcatraz Cellhouse Tour” featuring interesting stories told by actual correctional officers and prisoners who lived and worked on the Island. Ranger and docent tours are also available to show visitors around Alcatraz – not just the cellhouse but also its historic gardens and abundant wildlife (certain timing only). These are included as part of your ticket on the Alcatraz Cruises. The 45-minute audio guide will guide you around every part of the cellhouse and provide vivid descriptions of what prison life was like.
The three-story Alcatraz cellhouse included the main four blocks of the jail, A-Block, B-Block, C-Block, and D-Block, the warden’s office, visitation room, the library, and the barber shop.The dining hall and kitchen lay off the main building in an extended part where both prisoners and staff would eat three meals a day together. Corridors of the prison were named after major American streets such as Broadway and Michigan Avenue.
I will not to tell you all the visit ! It will be cheating. If you are visiting San Francisco, don’t miss this activity; One of the best activity ever ! Enjoy your visit !
