Is Alcatraz really worth it?

While the indictment is valid, there is too much evidence in defence of Alcatraz to ignore. The history, mystique and still-unsolved mystery of a real-life escape so clever it equals The Count of Monte Cristo or The Shawshank Redemption allow Alcatraz to withstand an enormous amount of hassle and still be worth it.



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Alcatraz was a desolate, dreary abode for the cruelest of criminals. With strict regulations and isolated conditions, prisoners were pushed to their very extent. “A prisoner at Alcatraz found himself in a harsh, isolated world..” (Source A). Many men have tried to escape and failed.

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Before they open the prison in the morning, they have him come out and deliver an opening act for the crowd. He's like a standup comedian. What does Alcatraz smell like? A cross between sea air and decay, old paint.

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The major expense was caused by the physical isolation of the island - the exact reason islands have been used as prisons throughout history. This isolation meant that everything (food, supplies, water, fuel...) had to be brought to Alcatraz by boat.

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But three men—brothers John and Clarence Anglin and Frank Morris—might have pulled off what CBS News calls “one of the greatest prison escapes in American history.” (Check out more of the strangest unsolved mysteries of all time.)

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The common theme expressed by most inmates was the rule of silence which was discontinued in the late 1930's. In the earlier years of Alcatraz, inmates were not allowed to talk to one another except during meals and recreation periods.

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The three men in question are convicted bank robber Frank Morris, John Anglin and his brother Clarence Anglin. On June 11, 1962, the trio successfully escaped the maximum security prison after posing fake heads in their beds that were pushed through holes of a concrete wall.

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It's easy to imagine Alcatraz in a world without tourists, and that's why it remains San Francisco's greatest tourist trap.

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Alcatraz is a National Park, not a haunted house. That said, the evening tour does lean toward the eerie. Is it a ghost tour? No.

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The weather on Alcatraz is unpredictable and liable to change unexpectedly, so be prepared by bringing along a light jacket or sweater no matter how nice the day starts out.

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The 1962 escape is probably the most famous prison break in American history, and the three men involved have never been located, dead or alive.

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Prison Guard Harold P. Stites was shot and killed (by friendly fire) during the rescue attempt while Prison Guard William A. Miller died of his injuries the following day in the cell. In addition to the deaths of those two, 14 other prison guards were wounded in the battle.

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Frank Lucas Bolt Little has been documented about Alcatraz's LGBTQ+ prisoners, but gay men did play a role in the infamous prison. In fact, it was a queer man, Frank Lucas Bolt, who served as the prison's first official inmate.

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The overnight program was started with the Boy Scouts of America organization and expanded after that to include other non-profits. Every year, there are a total of 18 overnight stays available on Alcatraz, and a staggering number of 200 to 400 groups compete for the opportunity to secure one of these spots.

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The waters between North Beach and Alcatraz are not shark infested, as urban legends would have you believe.

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There a chartered bus transported them to an undisclosed airport where a U.S. Immigration Service airplane took them to their new institutions in Leavenworth, Kan.; McNeill Island, Wash.; Lewisburg, Pa.; or Atlanta, Ga.

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