what is visiting Alcatraz really like?
These are only a few photos from our visit to Alcatraz and they just give a glimpse of what life was like for the men who went to these prisons. what you can't tell from the photos is how hot it was during the day and how cold it would be at night. Even while going to Alcatraz you can't get a good sense of what being in a prison surrounded by people, not being allowed to talk to anyone (a rule that was later abandoned ) and having no privacy would be like. Nor can I get a good idea of the effects of looking outside into the busy world at people on boats having fun and the busy city knowing that what they were missing out on was just outside of their grasp.
Here is the Alcatraz website if you are curious: https://www.nps.gov/alca/index.htm
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| entering Alcatraz island from the ferry |
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| the entrance to the Alcatraz prison building |
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| one of the cells |
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| the dining room area. inmates were allowed to take all they wanted but they had to eat all they took |
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| the windows by the solitary confinement cells |
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| solitary confinement cells. you nearly can't see anything even with the doors open |
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| some flowers in the gardens |
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| some close ups |
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| more pretty flowers |
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| even more flowers |
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| over the edge of the cliff |
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| the park ranger said that the worst part of Alcatraz prison was that you could see what you were missing from the prison. for the first few years while it was open inmates were not even allowed to talk to one another. |
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| one of the buildings that has now fallen apart |
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| Alcatraz is surrounded by pretty gardens |
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| Alcatraz is surrounded by pretty gardens |
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| this is where the inmates would check into Alcatraz |
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| this is where you would check into Alcatraz |
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| these were the showers new inmates used |
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| more flowers |
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| a sign that is inside what used to be the library |
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| this is of books people said changed their lives this year |
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| more stuff from the library |
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| more stuff from the library |
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| more stuff from the library |
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| more stuff from the library |
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| more stuff from the library |
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| these were hung up inside the soldiery confinement cells |
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| solitary confinement is when you go into a dark room and stay there alone for a long period of time. |
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| windows that look out to SF |
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| the showers |
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| Joseph bowers was sentenced to 25 years in prison for robbing 16.38 from a convenience store. He could not handle the stress of living in a prison and was know as insane by other inmates. |
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| here are a few other of the many people who stayed at Alcatraz |
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| Ellsworth Johnson spent a quarter of his life in prison and was arrested over 40 times. Early in his prison life, he spent three years in solitary confinement. Before going to prison he stole from some people and gave it away to people in need. When he was released in 1963 he was thrown a parade. |
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| some close ups |
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| the dinning area |
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| your view outside from the dinning area |
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| here is a sample menu |
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| more close ups (can you see the smiley face?) |
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| one of the halls |
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| the floor |
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| behind the walls |
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| the cells |
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| the cells are stacked on top of each other and you can sit in one cell and look right into the other across from you. |
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| this is Al Capone's cell although he was switched out and into new cells often. Al Capone is also know as scarface. He was taken to prison at 33 years old. |
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| one of the buildings that has now fallen apart |
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| one of the buildings that has now fallen apart |
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| a fake pelican looks out |
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