Blogpost No.7: National Park

It was one of my bucket list to visit America. Not only for the four seasons, a different culture but also the great sights. However, it never occurred to me that an abandoned prison is also a tourist’s choice destination.  I’m not sure if it’s going to be my idea of a fun, once in a lifetime holiday.

Maybe it was the dark mystique that the most notorious criminals in America brought to Alcatraz that draw tourist to the island.  The presence of infamous inmates like Al "Scarface" Capone, and the "Birdman" Robert Stroud helped to establish the island's popularity.  It is still known today as one of the world's most legendary prisons.

In one article I came across entitled "Alcatraz Day Tour" in alcatraztrips. In this article it discusses that  Alcatraz federal prison has been converted to a tourist destination since its closing in 1963.  It actually is a top earner of the San Francisco Bay area having over one million visitors every year.  Visiting the island is actually free but the ferry to the island cost in a range of $27-38 per person. Visitors can get an audio guided tour and see the prison cell, the Hole, the block D, maybe feel some of the ghosts and then wander around the island for as long as one wants.

According to the author of Brighter Images. "Today Alcatraz is San Francisco's most popular tourist attraction, about a million people visit the island each year, but for 30 years it was the most infamous prison in the country." 

I still cannot understand why a place where the suffering of many human being had taken place is now a most popular tourist spot in the San Francisco Bay area.  Maybe people just want to confirm what they just saw and heard.  Given the chance, maybe I will try the tour.  After all, it has quite an interesting history.  At least I can see and confirm for myself what I have spent a lot of time researching.  

Another article that I can relate to is entitled "Fauna and Flora". In this article it  discusses what happened to the flora and fauna of the island after the American Indians left the area .  Apparently, there was a garden that was cultivated by the families of prison officers.  The untended gardens had become severely overgrown and had developed into a nesting habitat and sanctuary for numerous birds. When, volunteer workers were cleaning up the garden, they found that many of the original plants were growing where they had been planted – some more than 100 years ago.  Alcatraz is now home to rare flowers and plants, marine wildlife, and thousands of roosting and nesting sea birds .

According to the author "Gardens planted by families of the original Army post, and later by families of the prison guards, fell into neglect after the prison closure in 1963. After 40 years, they are being restored by a paid staff member and many volunteers, thanks to funding by the Garden Conservancy and the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy.  Now, areas of bird habitat are being preserved and protected, while many of the gardens are being restored to their original state" 

Reading this article, I find it quite interesting that not only was it a prison before, but if you go to Alcatraz Island today, you will  encounter thousands of seabirds nesting. It's also quite interesting to know that Alcatraz Island protect these wild life animals . Now the island is also home to  rare  flowers and plants in a beautiful garden. 

From a federal prison to a tourist spot, Alcatraz Island is really an icon. I've never imagined a federal prison could turn into a famous tourist spot with rare plants planted and protected wild life

After reading all the articles I needed to make this blog, I have learned few facts about Alcatraz. It is truly an amazing island.  I'm not surprised anymore that people travel thousands of miles to see this icon. Those who have the opportunity to visit the island, it's worth their time and money because the history that the island carry is just amazing.  

Blogpost no.6: Mysteries at Alcatraz Island

Before Alcatraz became a prison, the Native Americans had found the island and instantly felt that there were bad spirits. There are a lot of rumors and fantasies that surround Alcatraz, it has been cited as one of the most haunted place in America. Prisoners then and visitors now have reported a wide range of paranormal activity on Alcatraz such as whispering, phantom figures, cold spots and even sounds of musical instruments. Many believe that it's the spirit of ex-inmates who have died at Alcatraz.

I found an article entitled "Ghost that Haunt Alcatraz" in Angela-Michelle.hubpages. This article contains a brief history about Alcatraz then goes on to tell about a man who have experienced paranormal activity at Alcatraz. 

According to the author, Angela Michelle: "This man was locked in, when suddenly he began to scream and groan claiming to see glowing eyes. He would cry out about how this creature was torturing him. The guards assuming the inmate just wanted attention, ignored him throughout the night, but suddenly his cell went quiet. When the guards checked on him in the morning, they found the man strangled with hand marks around his neck."

 

It kind of give me chills reading about this article. I have heard people saying that they've experienced paranormal activity, but I never really believed it. I thought that they were just fooling around with me.  After reading the article it makes me wonder, is it true? I don't know whether the story is a real life event and that if it actually happened to a prisoner, but one thing I learned that is , there is a possibility. Ghosts or evil spirits are all around us. How strong  their presence probably depends on how bad our actions were.  Prisoners in Alcatraz are hard core criminals, and one can do the maths and say, the bad spirits are closer to them than people who strive to do the best to benefit those around them.  




Another article that I can relate to is entitled "The Old Lighthouse and Other Hauntings" in Angela-Michelle.hubpages. This articles reveals another mystery story which is less scary. It's about the old lighthouse, the very first one at Alcatraz and  about a psychiatrist and her experience with the "Butcher" 

According to the author, Angela Michelle. "Many psychics have been drawn to Alcatraz, so it is no wonder that psychic Sylvia Brown was drawn there. One day when she was doing a reading, she came across a cell and claimed to feel a presence. She could only identify the presence by the name of Butcher with no exact information on him. So when old guards did research, they discovered that Abie Maldowitz was killed there. Maldowitz's nickname was "Butcher."


I may not believe in ghost existing in this world, I haven't seen one myself nor I would like to see one in the future , but it sure is interesting to read about  inmates who have experienced such paranormal activities at Alcatraz Island. I've come to realize that Alcatraz really do have amazing facts and stories behind it. It's not just about the convicts and the prison cells, but also about ghost that roamed Alcatraz. No one will truly know whether or not Alcatraz is haunted. Regardless of your beliefs in ghosts or evil spirits, it cannot be denied that Alcatraz Island has a rich history with demons of its own. 

Blogpost no.5: The Closing of an Icon

There were a lot of reason why Alcatraz Island had to close . The main reason is actually ironic. Alcatraz' strong point of being acclaimed as the most inescapable prison is also the prison's weak point. Sure it's hard to escape a prison surrounded by water with strong current. But it is also hard to maintain any structure with sea water all around.

In addition, the institution was too expensive to continue operating, it was estimated that $3-5 million was needed to operate the prison. Alcatraz Island was nearly three times more expensive than a normal federal prison. The Federal Government found that it was more cost-effective to build a new institution somewhere than to keep Alcatraz Island open. Maybe it was more expensive because prisoners are like in a cheap hotel with early lights out and small rooms. From library, to movie room , uniforms ,decent food and the cost of bringing in supplies and prison workers to and from the island by barge , its a no brainer that the prison is very expensive to operate than other prisons. 

My mother works in a paint factory and it has always been a challenge to protect the structure with paints. It requires good formulation and a very labor intensive procedure to maintain the structure on a regular basis. Sea water is corrosive to all materials especially at constant exposure. It damages the steel, cement and even wood. This is what happened to Alcatraz. It was very expensive to repair an already degrading facility which was estimated at $5 million dollars at that time. Imagine how much that will be 40 years later. Because of the deteriorating structure, prisoners can escape from their prison cell and take their chances in the tricky sea water. It then depletes the purpose of being the most inescapable prison.

In an article I found entitled "Alcatraz Closes" in alcatraz101, it explains the reason why Alcatraz had to stop operating. It also gives the details of its closing. The article also discusses how they have decided not to re-open Alcatraz Island anymore.
The U.S. Attorney General Robert Kennedy made the final decision of shutting down the prison based on the above reasons. 
"An oft-cited factor in the closure of Alcatraz was politics. The Attorney General of
the United States, Robert Kennedy, saw Alcatraz as an example of how not to treat
people. He wanted it closed. It closed".


After I had read this article, I was surprised to know that running a federal prison cost so much to operate. I didn't know that they had all decent food complete with a menu and other drinking supplies delivered to the island like we popularly see in the movies, especially in most Asian countries. Also it's quite interesting how the closing down of a federal prison could be such a big event in San Francisco that press had to be called. I guess Alcatraz Island closing down was reasonable, they could use all those money to operate a new and a much better federal prison. The excess can be used to fund more needed government facilities like roads, water supply and others.




In conjunction with the closing of the federal prison , another interesting article I found is "Alcatraz Historical Indian Occupation" in alcatrazhistory. The article talks about how the American Indian took over the island after it was abandoned and claimed it their territory. Because of their activities at the island, they had the attention of the media and the U.S Government. As the article goes on, it shows more of the activities the Indian did at the island, their challenges of maintaining a territory in an island with no natural resources and their conflicts among themselves and how they soon left permanently.

According to the author, "On June 11, 1971, twenty Federal Marshals assisted by the Coast Guard descended on the island and removed the remaining residents. All were taken to Treasure Island under protective custody, and this marked the official end of the occupation of Alcatraz."

Reading this article, it is a proof that living in Alcatraz Island can never last long. The American Indians had the same problems as the federal prison. They had difficulty with the food supplies and maintaining the facility.


Upon analysis of the outcome of the federal prison, I have concluded that people back then were not yet very experienced in planning. They only saw the other side of the coin. Yes, it is inescapable, and they made the decision of making Alcatraz prison. But they didn't have the foresight of what the effect of that decision will be on infrastructure , supplies and the total budget . The Indian did the same mistake. They just saw the island as something they can claim. They didn't think on a long range. We can actually learn from this so we make better plans in the future. It is best to consider the pros and cons of a project or make a feasibility study before jumping to conclusion. Our plan should be until the end. In the scripture it as quoted " Nobody builds a house without having plans of how to finish it "  I think it goes the same for all future plans that we should make.

Blogpost no.4: Attempted Escape

A prison escape or prison break is the act of an inmate leaving prison illegally. Escaping from prison is also a criminal offense in some countries like America and Russia, and will to result in additional prison sentence to the inmate or being beaten up or placed under increased security. Many prisons use security features such as motion sensors, CCTV, barred windows, high walls, barbed wire and electric fencing to prevent escapes. In case of Alcatraz, even after escaping the prison wall itself, the strong current of the San Francisco Bay is still another problem for prisoners to overcome.

My family lived in Indonesia for almost 10 years. My mom is always on the look-out for cheap tickets to go home, even if it would mean spending our month's budget in Indonesia with just a few days in Philippines. We are always excited to be with our family , friends and relatives. Sometimes even if the ticket is highly priced, especially on Christmas month, we will still buy the tickets just to be with our loved ones. I guess wanting to be with a loved one is reason enough for prisoners to attempt to escape. Everybody, even the most atrocious criminals have a love one, whether or not, they love them back. I remember a quote by an unknown author that says " The greatest need of a human being is to be loved and appreciated." Whether be it a parent, a sweetheart, a child or a friend, these escapees from Alcatraz risked everything , even their own lives , just to feel that love and appreciation again with their loved one.

I found this article entitled "The Alcatraz Redemption" in damninteresting. This article covers all the unsuccessful attempted escape from Alcatraz. It also consist some famous prisoners and their escape plans. 

According to the author, Marisa Brooks: "Officially, there were never any successful escape attempts from California's notorious Alcatraz Prison. Nicknamed 'The Rock', Alcatraz is located on the tiny island of the same name in San Francisco Bay. It is about one and a quarter miles from the mainland, outside reasonable swimming distance and surrounded by strong ocean currents. This location afforded it formidable defenses against escape. Between 1934 and 1963, when the prison was operating, only fourteen attempts were made; most of the escapees involved were shot by guards or recaptured" 

Reading this article and quote from the author, It makes me wonder, why do they want to escape knowing that there is less chance of survival or success.   A lot of the prisoners have attempted escape even with a very slim chance of success.  Even though the prison escape is not really that high, only 5 out of 36 or only about 14%, the prisoners, whether in or out of Alcatraz, always try to escape.  I guess even if there is only 1% chance, the prisoners will still go for it.  Freedom is really priceless.  People will do anything to gain back what they have taken for granted when they had it.  Reason fro escaping can vary from missing a loved one to as simple as they got to get out of the prison to somewhere they are more familiar with or more comfortable with.

Another article that is interesting is entitled "Escape Attempts" in alcatrazhistory. In this article they listed the 14 most famous escape attempts/plans in Alcatraz and the actual photograph of the prisoner. 

"One of the many myths about Alcatraz is that it was impossible to survive a swim from the island to the mainland because of sharks. In fact, there are no "man-eating" sharks in San Francisco Bay, only small bottom-feeding sharks. The main obstacles were the cold temperature (averaging 50-55 degrees Fahrenheit), the strong currents, and the distance to shore (at least 1-1/4 miles)."

Reading this quote  gives me an idea that life in Alcatraz Prison must have been harder than the word hard ! If a person is well-trained and is in proper shape , it is possible to survive the cold waters and fast currents. However, for prisoners - who had no control over their diet, and with no exercise regime no more than weightlifting,  situps and pushups, the probability of drowning is high.  And without knowledge of high and low tides and no help from outside source,  the odds for success is almost close to zero.

While contemplating on what I need to write in this blog, I feel blessed to be free, to be able to do what I like, to be able to go to places I enjoy and to be with people I love and loves me back.  And freedom always comes with a price.  Losing that freedom will only be because of the consequence of a series of  bad choices.

Blogpost No.3: Facilities in Alcatraz Prison

I can't imagine living in a room as small as as a prison cell, all years of my detention. There's really not much to do, other than reading sleeping and maybe roaming around the prison facility on limited time with a bunch of other hard core criminals. I guess the conditions like this force the criminals to choose between two things : to think hard on the crimes they have done and maybe try to repent and be better people or try to escape.

Hollywood produced many movies that over-dramatized Alcatraz, especially during the 1930s and 1940s, often depicting brutal guards and violent episodes that had no basis in reality. Alcatraz was a tough prison but it was a fair one; most former convicts will grudgingly admit the island was safer and better run than many other prisons where they spent time.

An article entitled "Alcatraz Prison" by history provides most of the information about the facilities in Alcatraz Island. It also has information about how many convicts were in Alcatraz and the number of prison cells inside it. 

"No prisoners were executed at Alcatraz . It had no facilities for capital punishment, and no one was ever sent to the island with a death sentence."

Reading the article and the quote, I now realize  that Alcatraz Island isn't so bad after all. I thought prisons were made to make convicts suffer for all the things they have done wrong, but I was wrong. Here in Alcatraz there are guards everywhere to make sure each prisoner is safe and well fed, all a prisoner have to do is repent and ask God to forgive him from all his sins and then hopefully reflect on what he needs to change to make himself a better man.

I found another article entitled "Rules and Regulations" in alcatrazhistory. The articles contains all the rules and regulation that an inmate had to follow in Alcatraz. It's said to be in a booklet form that all inmate should have in their cell. 

According to the author, Michael Esslinger: "Inmates were permitted out into the yard on Saturdays and Sundays and on holidays for a maximum of 5 hours. Inmates who worked seven days a week in the kitchen were rewarded with short yard breaks during the weekdays. Badly behaved prisoners were liable to having their yard access rights taken away from them on weekends. Punishments for bad behavior included hard labor, wearing a 12 pound ball and chain, and lock-downs where prisoners were kept in solitary confinement, restricted to bread and water." 

This article is quite interesting. Simply by  following the rules, life in Alcatraz doesn't seem so bad for a prisoner. This is the only prison that is surrounded by sea water on all sides . In my opinion, being on an island as a prisoner is better than being in any other prison. First of all, you have a great view all around you, the sea, the bridge, the San Francisco Bay and other islands surrounding it. Other prisons are very prison like and seems to be just cement and bricks all around you. Second there is some form of entertainment. The food is quite okay as well. Other than the early lock down and a basic and small room and of course being surrounded with hard core criminals,   being confined here after all the heinous crimes committed ,  is already like a second chance in life. What’s more  , all is for free. There are people who are kind hearted and have not done nothing criminal and yet languish at the hardships of getting the basic necessities of life like food and shelter and some meager form of entertainment. Yet there were atrocious criminals who are provided better provisions than a common Juan dela Cruz. 

Blogpost No.2: Prisoners of Alcatraz

You are free to make your own choices, but you are not free to choose the consequences. You can't make the same mistake twice, the second time you make it, it's no longer a mistake, it's a choice. Life is about making choices, always do your best to make the right ones, and always do your best to learn from the the wrong ones.

 
As a teenager, the choices I made aren't always the best. I have done wrong things in the past that I regret, I've felt the guilt. If I could go back in time, I would definitely choose not to do it. But one thing for sure, I learned from it. But some people actually enjoy doing wrong things, it's a pleasure for them. Once you read more about the life of the prisoners at Alcatraz, they don't seem to be so bad, other than the more obvious killings theft and robbery and kidnappings .They had other interest too that are very shocking. 

Most of them were very smart.  Had they make better choices they could have been a forcfe for good for mankind. 

Robert Stroud. The "Birdman" of Alcatraz

I found an article entitled "Famous Inmates" in alcatraz101. This article shows all the notorious inmates that served time in Alcatraz. We've all heard about Al "Scarface" Capone, "Machine Gun" Kelly, Alvin "Creepy" Karpis and Robert Stroud, the "Birdman" of Alcatraz. But there are actually more. 

According to the author, Erin Mahaney: "The Alcatraz was home to notorious criminals, These man were the most atrocious prisoners that a federal prison can't handle. Over its 29 years of operation, the federal prison housed more than 1,500 convicts."

Reading this article, I found out that there are not only four famous prisoners at Alcatraz, but thousands. I wonder, what do they gain from doing crimes knowing that nobody is above the law.  I mean , it probably have occurred to them that once they got caught, they will surely end up in prison.

 What kind of people were the parents of these criminals, giving birth to one of the world's most notorious criminals? Did they pass on to their children some virulent genetic strain of violence? Some subtly mutated chromosomes? Were they abused as a child? Did they spend their tender years in the company of murderers and thieves?

I guess its just about the choices in life that we make. Even if we are born in a place where there are a lot of criminals and drug addicts around us, nobody can force us to be anything we don't want to be.

An article entitled "A Night At The Rock" in npr.org is very enlightening to me.  The article is about a former inmate, Bill Baker now in his 80's coming back to Alcatraz. He shares his experience at Alcatraz about what it felt like being in prison more than 50 years ago, and coming back to the island as a freeman. 

Bill Baker

According to the author, Laura Sullivan, Bill baker stated: "You know what? I feel like I own part of this island. I don't know if that's a good thing or not, but I do. I feel like I have squatters rights or something, you know, it's part mine."

I really like this article. It's an example of someone changing their lives to live a better life. It just shows that even though a person was once a notorious criminal known all over the United States, everybody gets equal opportunities to change his course , make the neccesary corrections , repent and change for the better. I love how Bill Baker came back and visited the place that took his freedom away from him.  It only shows that he is at peace with himself now more than ever.  'm sure he regret the fact the he became an inmate in Alcatraz.. I love how he said that he feels like he owns part of Alcatraz island. 

I guess for Bill, it was a learning experience . It's just too bad that he had to go through all those hardship to realize something important. It's the choices in life that makes us who we are. 

It's somewhat surprising to know that these men are cold blooded criminals . They look very normal. If I were to walk on roads and I came across these man I wouldn't think a for a second that they are killers. But that's just the twist. You can't trust anyone just like that, someone so good looking can actually be a murderer or a rapist and no one knows it until they strike.

Blogpost No.1: "The Rock"

When I was growing up, my family and I loved watching the american TV series “ Prison Break”.   It's about how a younger brother who had his one and only older brother who got imprisoned and how he planned and even got himself convicted so that he can be in the same prison as his brother was.  Being the architect that drew the prison itself, he had the prison layout tattooed on his back so he can plan an escape with his brother and they can both be free to another island.   Such a stupid idea, if you ask me, but it actually tells more about what one is capable of doing for the people we love, however unlovable they maybe.   Now that I’m doing this blog about Alcatraz, it brings back memories when we would discuss over family dinner, what would happen in the TV series.  I really find this topic quite interesting, something new for me to learn about. I never knew this Island even existed until now. I think Alcatraz is more popular being the most inescapable prison in America.  There was even a movie made under its name “ Escape from Alcatraz” in 1979 starring Clint Eastwood and Don Siegel.

I found this article entitled "Alcatraz Prison" in history.com. The article covers some information about Alcatraz Island and its history, way back to how it was found by Spanish explorer Juan Manuel de Ayala, to how it  became a federal prison, and all the way to how it closed down. It also talks about how Alcatraz Island became known as "The Rock". The article also shows some glimpse about the famous inmates of Alcatraz, and the escape attempts made by the convicts.  

Alcatraz Island

According to the author, Michael Esslinger: "The federal prison on Alcatraz Island in the chilly waters of California's San Francisco Bay housed some of America's most difficult and dangerous felons during its years of operation from 1934 to 1963. "

I am quite surprise that this whole Island is just for prisoners, and so many convicts try to escape knowing that there are very limited chances for them to survive.  Prison alone must have been bad already, but they must have thought it's better risking their lives than stay in Alcatraz where visits from loved ones is possible only based on good behavior.  I'm guessing, if you're surrounded by criminals, good behavior is hard to earn.

     

Another very informative  article  is entitled "10 Things You May Not Know About Alcatraz" in history.com. The article contains ten amusing facts about the island. Some of the facts are actually very shocking. We all have an idea of how a prison looks like, but this is just a whole different story. 

According to the author,  Michael Esslinger: "While Alcatraz was certainly not Club Med, its tough-as-nails reputation was a bit of a Hollywood creation. The prison’s one-man-per-cell policy appealed to some inmates because it made them less vulnerable to attack by fellow jailbirds. Alcatraz’s first warden, James A. Johnston, knew poor food was often the cause of prison riots, so he prided himself on serving good food, and inmates could return for as many helpings as they wanted. Inmates who behaved had access to privileges including monthly movies and a library with 15,000 books and 75 popular magazine subscriptions. Overall, some prisoners considered the conditions inside Alcatraz to be more attractive than at other federal prisons, and several asked to be moved there." 

I find the article really interesting, how the prison stands out from the other federal prison. Its isolated place made me think that prisoners would be treated badly, but turns out that they we're given privileges at Alcatraz. The prison is so unique that it has a library in it for convicts, and good food were served to them to eat complete with a menu. At first, I thought going to Alcatraz Island meant that you were bad, but now I'm quite surprised to find out that some convicts actually asked to be moved there.

The Library at Alcatraz Island

The Dining Hall at Alcatraz Island

Maybe the prison authorities thought that prison like prison will just create animals out of animal like behavior of the inmates.  By subjecting them to discipline in a comfortable and more humane environment, there might be some hope for these hard core criminals.