Day 7

Alcatraz

Today we started the day by visiting the well-known prison, Alcatraz, which is located on an island to prevent the prisoners from escaping, as the prison was surrounded by the sea. I was very excited for the visit because I had previously heard about stories of sharks in the water surrounding Alcatraz, which killed any prisoners who tried to swim to the mainland. However on the boat ride to the prison, I found out that that was just a myth and the real reason why prisoners possibly died , was due to the temperature of the water, which is freezing so normal people and their muscles would not be used to the temperature and therefore drown. Also the prisoners who could've survived the temperature, would probably have hypothermia.

When we reached the island, we went on an audio tour, where each person had their very own headset with a recording which guided us through the prison. The tour gave a lot of information and details into the lifestyle of the prisoners, as well as, interesting and famous stories which happened within the walls of Alcatraz. For example, we learnt that the prisoners only had two showers per week, which was taken with other prisoners in a line, and their cells consisted of the basic necessities, such as, a bed, toilet and sink, however some prisoners wanted to make the prison more homely;therefore, with permission, they were allowed to put up paintings, board games and later radios. Some prisoners had reading privileges, where they were able to sign up for a book at the prison library and when the book became available, they will be able to collect it and other prisoners were allowed subscriptions to local magazines.

One of the famous stories which interested me, was the story of the three prisoners who ever successfully escaped Alcatraz. The three men had collected spoons and made a drill to dig a hole in their cell walls which was connected to the piping system. They created fake heads to place on their pillows so the guards did not notice their disappearance on the night of their escape. They climbed through the holes in their cells and then proceeded to climb the pipes which led to the roof, where they were officially out of the prison walls; therefore, they had successfully escaped the most secure prison at the time. However, what became of the men, whether or not they made it to the mainland or drowned, nobody knows because they were never sighted and no bodies have been found; therefore, till this day, they are still on the wanted list in America.