The Rock

January 17, 1994 -- It's been more than 30 years since I visited Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary (a.k.a. the Rock) in San Francisco. After attending the ASI convention in Reno, my friend Barbara J. and I traveled to California. We went to San Francisco. One of the places we visited was Alcatraz. We took a ferry to the island. Tours were self-guided. I recall there being a former inmate there who was signing a book he had written about his incarceration. According to the internet, there is only one surviving former Alcatraz inmate, as of this writing.

The Rock

Cell house

Alcatraz Island was developed in the mid 19th century with facilities for a lighthouse, military fortification, and military prison. It became a federal prison in 1934. For 29 years it held some of the nation's most notorious criminals including Al Capone, Machine Gun Kelly, and the Birdman. Its location in San Francisco Bay made escape almost impossible, though 36 men tried and three were never found. 

Wonder whose cell this was?

Three stories of cells

Guards and their families also lived on Alcatraz Island. Native Americans occupied Alcatraz for nearly two years (1969-70) in protest. The Island was designed a National Landmark in 1986 and is managed by the National Park Service. It is a major San Francisco tourist attraction, welcoming ~1.2 million visitors per year. The lighthouse still operates with an automatic beacon. The island provides sanctuary to ~20,000 birds.

Exercise yard

No escape

The prison was closed in 1963 due to its high costs and deteriorating infrastructure. Trump is talking about reopening Alcatraz. I'm all for it, but only if we put him and his cronies in it (and throw away the key).