Blogpost No. 8: Alcatraz Facts

Whether you are a native of San Francisco or just a tourist, a trip to the famous Alcatraz Island should be on your to-do-list. Most people know that Alcatraz was once a world-famous federal penitentiary, but  the island's history before and after the penitentiary is less well known. 

I found an article entitled "Alcatraz Facts & Mysteries You May Not Know" in citypass.com .  In this article, it shows interesting facts about the island that are not usually mentioned in other website such as the lighthouse, the Great San Francisco Earthquake, the average stay, the female correctional officer and so forth.

According to the author , Melissa Davidson. as if speaking to an Alcatraz prisoner ,  “You are entitled to food, clothing, shelter, and medical attention. Anything else you get is a privilege.” 

After reading this article, I'm kind of shocked that I haven't read these facts anywhere else. I've read a lot of articles about Alcatraz Island, and this is the first time I'm learning about these facts. It's very interesting, especially about the the families who lived there and rarely locked their doors. I mean, if I were them, I would probably lock all the doors and windows every time just to be safe. One can't really know when prisoners try to escape and you find them knocking on your door. So I find it quite amusing that people who lived next to the prison don't usually lock their doors, while people in the city and far away from the prison do.

One article I came across with entitled "Mysteries Unwrapped" in pricegrabber talks about a book written about Alcatraz Island by Susan Sloate. 

According to the author, Susan Sloate. "With this book, young readers will go back to the island’s humble beginnings and follow its transformations through the years. They’ll meet the legendary Birdman and other notorious prisoners, learn about some famous �great escapes,” and more"

I for one find it interesting how there were movies created about the island, and now a book about it too, covering almost everything we need to know about Alcatraz Island. This just proves that Alcatraz Islnd is not just some normal prison. It has such an amazing history that it became one of the most visited tourist spot with reported 1.4 billion people visiting the island every year.