by David Ward
At least five books by former employees are notable as well. Of particular relevance for the gangster era are several books by men who worked on the island during the 1930s and 1940s. Milton Daniel Beacher, MD, a U.S. Public Health Service physician (not a BOP employee) assigned to Alcatraz for about one year beginning in April 1937, wrote Alcatraz Island: Memoirs of a Rock Doc, ed. Dianne Beacher Perfit (Lebanon, NJ: Pelican Island Publishing, 2001). This memoir (edited by his daughter) includes interesting observations about Al Capone, Harmon Waley, Thomas Robinson, and Rufe Persful, as well as descriptions of strikes, discipline, and daily life on the island. Another noteworthy book that focuses on the prison’s early years is Erville F. Chandler, Alcatraz: The Hard Years (Orwigsburg, PA: Bacon and Freeman, 1989). This book is based on former correctional officer Chandler’s conversations with his son, Roy F. Chandler, and includes reproductions of rare photographs and documents, such as charge out sheets from 1936 and 1937 that identify the location and job assignments of all inmates, and lists of the first thirty-six guards and the first four hundred convicts.
Many books sold on the island feature the May 1946 breakout attempt by six convicts and the battle that followed. Former captain Philip Bergen, a central participant in this epic prison drama, co-wrote with Don DeNevi (and provided many of the photographs for) Alcatraz ’46: The Anatomy of a Classic Prison Tragedy (San Rafael, CA: Lesswing Press, 1974). In a note to the author, Bergen commented, “Alcatraz ’46, although it is insufficiently definite in some respects, is the best available USP Alcatraz saga. I wish that I could rewrite it!” Since Mr. Bergen gave two extended interviews for this volume, perhaps these flaws have now been corrected. A carefully researched and interesting account of the trial of the three inmates who did not die during the battle is Ernest B. Lageson, Alcatraz Justice: The Rock’s Most Famous Murder Trial (Berkeley: Creative Arts Book, 2002). Lageson, a trial attorney, had the advantage of utilizing the firsthand knowledge of his father, correctional officer Ernest Lageson, who was one of the prisoners’ hostages and appeared as a witness in the subsequent trial of the three inmate survivors.
Finally, any commentary on the books written about Alcatraz cannot fail to mention Warden James A. Johnston, Alcatraz Island Prison, and the Men Who Live There (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1949). Johnston was the central figure at Alcatraz from its beginning as a federal penitentiary to his departure in 1948. He had access to all records for prisoners, employees, and the prison; he himself produced many of them. He found little to fault in his administration of the prison. Former officer Chandler commented on Johnston’s effort in his book (The Hard Years, 99; original emphasis): “A weakness lies in that ‘the general knows mostly what he is told’ and ‘the troops tend to tell it one way while handling it another’ . . . guards saw most things more ‘closely’ than did their warden.” According to Chandler, “there is no complete book about Alcatraz. Many are inaccurate and fleshed out with fanciful tales. Others are boring or too incomplete. The great Alcatraz book is still to be written. . . . Those who really know are gone. Most of what is left is second or third hand . . . but those involved would prefer having the prison’s history more correctly recorded.” With the benefit of extensive interviews with one hundred former prisoners and employees and access to records for all of these prisoners and the prison, Alcatraz: The Gangster Years tries to achieve this goal.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
David A. Ward is Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Minnesota. He co-authored with Gene G. Kassebaum two books about California prisons: Women’s Prison: Sex and Social Structure (1965), and Prison Treatment and Parole Survival (also with Daniel M. Wilner; 1971), an evaluation of psychologically based treatment programs. He co-edited with Kenneth F. Schoen, Confinement in Maximum Custody: New Last-Resort Prisons in the United States and Western Europe (1981). He was a Fellow in Law and Sociology at Harvard Law School and as a Fulbright Scholar studied prisons and penal policy in Sweden and Denmark. He served as consultant to the Subcommittee on Courts, Civil Liberties, and the Administration of Justice of the Committee on the Judiciary, U.S. House of Representatives for an investigation of the permanent lockdown regime at the Federal Penitentiary, Marion, Illinois, Alcatraz’s successor. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Gene G. Kassebaum is Professor Emeritus of Sociology, University of Hawaii. In addition to co-authoring the books cited above, he co-edited Narcotics with Daniel M. Wilner (1965) and wrote Delinquency and Social Policy (1974). In Hawaii he served as a member of the Governor’s Commission for the Revision of the Hawaii Penal Code and conducted contract research for state justice, parole, probation, and corrections agencies. Earlier in his career he was on the faculty at the American University in Cairo, Egypt, and was awarded two Fulbright scholarships to India. He now divides his time between Bangalore, Honolulu, and San Francisco.
INDEX
The index that appeared in the print version of this title was intentionally removed from the eBook. Please use the search function on your eReading device for terms of interest. For your reference, the terms that appear in the print index are listed below
Abdul-Rahman, Omar
Abrams, Sol: post-trial comments of
as Young’s attorney
ACLU (American Civil Liberties Union)
adaptation. See also coping mechanisms
daily routines
inmates
psychological issues
resistance
Aderhold, A. C.
Administrative Max (ADX, Florence, CO)
Administrative Office of U.S. Courts
Alabama: Franklin returned to
robbery and murder in
state prison in
Alcatraz: basic goal of
budget of
call for removal of
cave on
closure of
conundrum of
decision to establish
facility modifications of
functional shift in
government permit for
internal control vs. external image of
isolation of
lessons of
location choice for
maintenance tasks at
as maximum-security, minimum-privilege
misconduct patterns at
mortality rate at
name of
new industries building of
number of cells
opening of
periods of
proposed conversion of
rationale for
realities of
reputation of
sounds of. See also cafeteria and meals
convict code and culture
daily routines
disciplinary measures
employees and staff
inmates
escape attempts and escapes
mythology of Alcatraz
protests and strikes
rules and regulations
secrecy
security
transfers to Alcatraz
wardens
Alcatraz Alumni Association
Alcatraz Island, Golden Gate National Recreation Area: army’s departure from
commercialization of
interpretive program of
photography exhibit at
pre-prison uses of
tours of
visitors’ views of
Alcatraz Island (film)
Alcoholics Anonymous
alcoholism
Alcorn, Gordon
Alderson (WV) Federal Women’s Prison. See also Kelly, Kathryn
Alix, Ernest A.
Allen, Jack
The Alvin Karpis Story (film)
Amende, Milton
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
American Society of Radiological Technicians
Angel Island: searched for escapees
U.S. Army ferry to
Anglin brothers
anticrime crusade: beginning of
commission’s findings and
prison reform in
victories in
Archer, Finch
Arizona: kidnappings in
Arkansas: crimes in
prison farm in
state penitentiary of
Arnold, Tom
Associated Press: on battle of Alcatraz
on Hamilton’s death
on Karpis’s possible release
on Persful’s self-mutilation
questions about Capone from
Atlanta (GA) federal penitentiary: activities in
Alcatraz compared with
Alcatraz inmates from
convict culture in
corruption of
escapes and escape attempts from
family visits to
gangsters in
inmate’s protest of transfer to
legal assistance by inmate in
problems in
psychiatric evaluations in
security flaws in
solitary confinement in
transfer option of
Attica State Prison (NY)
attorneys. See also specific attorneys
Auburn (NY) Prison
Audett, James “Blackie”: allegations against
associates of
battle of Alcatraz testimony of
criminal activities of
Gaddis on
interview of
post-Alcatraz failure of
transfers of
writing of
Bacon, Kevin
Bailey, Harvey: Albert Bates compared with
associates of
behavior of
criminal activities of
on doing time
Hamilton’s escape and
implicated in Union Station massacre
in Leavenworth
notoriety of
parole requests of
post-release success of
protests and strikes of
refusal to talk
release of
reputation of
transfers of
trial of
Baker, Robert: on arrival of first inmates
in battle of Alcatraz
on daily regimen
on dungeon cells
escape attempt and
at executions
on Grove
on letter writing rules
on parole rules
on security problems
training of
on visitors
Baltimore (MD) News
Bamboo Cosmos (prisoner train)
Banghart, Basil “The Owl”
Bankston, William O.
Barkdoll, Lloyd
Barker, Arthur “Dock”: as Alcatraz inmate
associates of
criminal activities of
death and burial of
escape attempt of
notoriety of
postrelease records of
ruthlessness of
strike of
Barker, Fred: associates of
criminal activities of
death of
Barker, George
Barker, Kate “Ma”
Barker-Karpis mob. See also specific members
Barnes, George. See Kelly, George “Machine Gun”
Barnes, Harry Elmer
Barrett, William A.
Barrow, Clyde: associates of
criminal activities of
fading from public view
movie about
Bates, Albert: associates of
contraband of
correspondence courses of
criminal activities of
death of
intelligence of
in Leavenworth
notoriety of
protests and strikes of
reputation of
transfers of
trial of
Urschel’s correspondence with
Bates, Sanford: Alcatraz inmates selected by
Alcatraz visit of
on attorney visits
Capone’s case and
challenges for
on consistent handling of inmates
on control of personnel
on corporal punishment
on dungeon cells
on FBI
on handcuffing
hiring policy of
Hoover’s instructions for
on Leavenworth escape
media and
military prisoners and
operational guidelines of
prison as envisioned by
on prisoner transport
on prison investigations
public-enemy mythology countered by
public relations concerns of
reorganization of
on super prison site
battle of Alcatraz (1946): aftermath of
blame for
conspirators in
convict code in
executions for
eyewitnesses to
gun battle in
implications and legacy of
investigation of
Johnston’s responsibility for
planning and beginning of
trial after
Bayless, John R.
Beacher, Milton Daniel (doctor)
Beall, C. R. F.
Beardon, Walter
Belbenoit, René
Belli, Marvin
Bender, John
Benedetti, Kay Wallace
Bennett, James V.: accusations against
Alcatraz conversion proposal of
Alcatraz visits of
assistance of
battle of Alcatraz investigation and
battle of Alcatraz trial and
on daily life at Alcatraz
on death penalty
dungeon cells and
escape attempts and
Hoover’s relationship with
hunger strikes and
inmates’ complaints to
personal files of
prison investigations of
public relations concerns of
questions of
releasees encouraged by
responsibilities of
on shift in Alcatraz population
specific cases and: Bailey
Bates
Berta
Capone
Chase
Davis
Gardner
Grove
Hamiltion
Hensley
Karpis
Kelly
Neumer
Persful
Phillips
Quillen
Waley
Walters
Young
Bentham, Jeremy
Bentz, Edward
Bequette, Charles
Bergen, Philip: in battle of Alcatraz
book of
interview with
on security problems
on Waley
Bergreen, Lawrence
Berlin, Samuel
Berta, Charles: on Alcatraz conditions
allegations against
behavior of
Bennett’s correspondence with
escape plot involving
library of
postrelease success of
solitary confinement of
transfer of
wounding of
Besk, Elmus E.
The Birdman of Alcatraz (film)
Bixby (BOP assistant director)
Blackwell, Olin (warden)
Blue Boy (film)
Blumer, Fred
Boarman, James
Boatman, George: on battle of Alcatraz
on escape planning
on Johnston
on rats
on solitary confinement
Boettcher, Charles
Bogart, Humphrey
Bohn, Haskell
/>
BOP. See Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)
Bower, Benjamin
Bowers, Joseph: BOP questions about
criminal activities of
death of
media’s sensationalization of
medical evaluation of
mental difficulties of
Boyd, John
The Boy Mechanic (series)
Branch, Claude
Brandt, Rudolph
Breed, Allen
Bremer, Edward
Brest, Harold: on convict code
escape attempt of
retrial of
Bristow, Robert
British Columbia Penitentiary
Brown, Bill
Brown, Stanley
Brownie, Frank
Bruce, J. Campbell
Brushy Mountain Prison (TN)
Buckner, Charles
Burch, Bert
Burdette, Joseph
Bureau of Internal Revenue. See also Internal Revenue Service
Burlingame (officer)
Burrough, Bryan
Butler, Howard: battle of Alcatraz and
behavior of
mental difficulties of
on other inmates
release and success of
cafeteria and meals: guard’s description of
inmates’ description of
limited conversation in
for men in solitary
menu sample
Phillips’s assault on Johnston in
protests of
rules for
security issues in
variety of food in
Caffrey (FBI agent)
Calabrese, Anthony
Calder, James
California: kidnappings in
robberies in
supermax prisons in. See also San Francisco
San Quentin prison (CA)
California Adult Authority
California Department of Corrections
California Men’s Colony
Campbell, Harry
Canada: arrests in
corporal punishment in
Karpis’s deportation to
Cannon, Jerry
capital punishment. See death penalty
Capone, Al (Alphonse Gabriel): associates of
commercialized images of
criminal activities of