![]() ![]() When the new concrete prison was built, many materials were reused in its construction. This building was modernized in 19 and became the main cellhouse of the federal penitentiary. Upon completion, the 500 feet (150 m) long concrete building was reputedly the longest concrete building in the world at the time. The main cellhouse was built incorporating some parts of Fort Alcatraz's citadel, a partially fortified barracks from 1859 that had come to be used as a jail. ![]() Now operated by the National Park Service's Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the former prison is being restored and maintained. It is one of San Francisco's major tourist attractions, attracting some 1.5 million visitors annually. The island and prison were occupied by Native Americans from 1969 to 1971. The prison closed in 1963, but Alcatraz was reopened as a public museum. Those who earned privileges were employed in the Model Industries Building and New Industries Building during the day, actively involved in providing for the military in jobs such as sewing and woodwork, and performing various maintenance and laundry chores. ![]() ![]() Working at the prison was considered a privilege for inmates. streets, such as Broadway and Michigan Avenue, of New York and Chicago, respectively. Prison corridors were named after major U.S. The Alcatraz Hospital was located above the dining hall. Prisoners and staff ate three meals a day together. The dining hall and kitchen extended from the main building. Prisoners with behavioral problems were sent to these for periods of often brutal punishment. African Americans were segregated from other inmates in cell designation due to racism during the Jim Crow-era.ĭ-Block housed the worst inmates, and six cells at its end were designated "The Hole". They were furnished with a bed, desk, washbasin, a toilet on the back wall, and few items other than a blanket. The cells were primitive and lacked privacy. The prison cells typically measured 9 feet (2.7 m) by 5 feet (1.5 m) and 7 feet (2.1 m) high. The three-story cellhouse included the four main cell blocks – A-block through D-block, the warden's office, visitation room, the library, and the barber shop. Given this high security and the island's location in the cold waters and strong currents of San Francisco Bay, prison operators believed Alcatraz to be escape-proof and America's strongest prison. The island became adapted and used as a prison of the Federal Bureau of Prisons in August 1934 after the buildings were modernized and security increased. The United States Department of Justice acquired the United States Disciplinary Barracks, Pacific Branch, on Alcatraz on October 12, 1933. The site of a fort since the 1850s, the main prison building was built in 1910–12 as a U.S. United States Penitentiary, Alcatraz Island, also known simply as Alcatraz ( English: / ˈ æ l k ə ˌ t r æ z/, Spanish: "the gannet") or The Rock, was a maximum security federal prison on Alcatraz Island, 1.25 miles (2.01 km) off the coast of San Francisco, California, United States. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |