Several photographs from 1962, showing the severe deterioration of the concrete structure.
The base of the north wall of the utility corridor inside the main cellhouse. Senior Officer James Lewis is seen indicating the gaps that had appeared in the crumbling cement, due to years of environmental corrosion.
In the autumn months of 1962, the Federal Bureau of Prisons started to transfer inmates to other institutions, and prepared to shut down the facility. Bureau Director James Bennett wrote:
During the 1960's, financial considerations determined the issue and freed me from my dilemma. Alcatraz's buildings and steel towers were gradually being eroded by the salt spray, and would cost several million dollars to restore. The cost of supplying the island prison was exorbitant since food and water had to be brought across the bay. Alcatraz was also expensive to run, because it was located far from the continental center of population, far from most of the other prisons, and men had to be transported long distances from and back to the East and Middle West.
The daily per-prisoner operating costs at Alcatraz were far higher than at any other federal institution. So we drew up plans for a new maximum security prison to be built in the heart of the continent at Marion, Illinois, which could be built and operated at a lower cost. When the federal funds were made available for the new prison, we could close Alcatraz down
On March 21, 1963, the final day of operation for Alcatraz, Warden Blackwell invited a press pool to witness the last small group of inmates leaving the Rock. On that day, twenty-seven inmates filed into the Mess Hall for the last time, and lined up at the steam tables for one final breakfast. Even on the last day of the prison’s operation, the meal period would last only twenty minutes, as the Warden was determined to adhere to the rigid regulations right up to the final hour. While the inmates sat in the Mess Hall, Deputy Director of the Bureau of Prisons Fred T. Wilkinson answered questions for the press, and took reporters on a brief tour of the cellhouse. After the inmates had filed back to their cells, each one was met by an officer and then handcuffed and shackled, and prepared for final departure.
Correctional Officer Keith Dennison standing guard inside the main cellhouse corridor on the day of the prison’s closure.
The inmates stood quietly until the cellhouse officer gave the final signal to march quietly down Broadway in a single-file procession. There were only the eerie sounds of the inmates’ shackles, and the snapping shutters from the press-pool cameras. Several men covered their faces as the flash bulbs burst off in quick succession, trying to capture the final march of prisoners at Alcatraz. Interestingly enough, the last inmate to be incarcerated at Alcatraz would also be the last to leave. Frank C. Weatherman, inmate #AZ-1576, was the last inmate to board the prison launch. When the press asked him how he felt about the closure, he uttered what would become the prison’s eulogy: “Alcatraz was never good for anybody.” The members of the press were then invited back into the cellhouse for coffee and donuts in the Mess Hall. Meanwhile the remaining officers left their posts and secured their weapons for the last time. USP Alcatraz then closed its doors after twenty-nine years of operation.
The final march down Broadway by the last group of inmates, on March 21, 1963. The prisoners were subjected to the strict Alcatraz regimen even in the final hours of the prison’s operation.
Frank C. Weatherman was the last inmate to be incarcerated at Alcatraz.
Correctional officers watching a plane carrying the last group of prisoners from Alcatraz, as it took off from San Francisco International Airport after the closing of the prison on March 21, 1963.
During the history of Alcatraz as a Federal prison, there were 1576 register numbers issued, with twenty-eight inmates receiving two numbers under separate prison terms. Theodore “Blackie” Audett would be alone in the distinction of having been issued three numbers, for three separate terms at Alcatraz. In the final assessment, 1546 inmates served time at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary.
Theodore “Blackie” Audett would hold the unique distinction of being the only inmate ever to serve three separate terms at Alcatraz.
In July of 1964, the abandoned prison was turned over to the General Services Agency, which offered use of the property to other governmental agencies. John Hart, a former correctional officer at Alcatraz, remained on the island with his family as a lighthouse keeper and caretaker for the island. They continued to receive the San Francisco Chronicle, which was regularly dropped by a news helicopter, but otherwise lived in relative isolation.
The island remained essentially abandoned while several parties presented proposals for its use, ranging from erecting a West Coast version of the Statue of Liberty, to building a monument in honor of America’s Space Program, complete with a memorial modeled on an Apollo space capsule. In June of 1968, San Francisco Mayor Joseph Alioto issued an appeal for public propositions. After a series of long battles and debates, which included an acceptance by the board of a proposal by Texas millionaire Lamar Hunt to develop the island as commercial property, the Secretary for the Department of the Interior ordered a draft plan for public recreational use of the abandoned prison site. But the battles over Alcatraz were not yet over. A group of Native American activists would also choose the island as the ideal place to make a political stand.
The Indian Occupation
On November 20, 1969, a large group of American Indians landed on Alcatraz and claimed it for the Indian Nation. They offered to purchase the island for twenty-four dollars, payable in beads and red cloth – the same amount paid by the government to natives for “a similar island 300 years ago.”
A Native American tee-pee is clearly visible next to one of the island pathways in 1970. This was a symbol of their quest for peace and freedom.
The massive fires that were started on June 1, 1970 during the Indian Occupation ultimately destroyed several key structures, including the Warden’s mansion and the lighthouse.
On November 20, 1969, a large group of American Indians landed on Alcatraz and claimed the island as Indian property. The group articulated great plans, and hoped to establish an educational Native American Cultural Center. Overwhelming public support had developed for the movement, with advocates ranging from celebrities to members of the Hell's Angels. The Indians had the attention of both the media and the government. Federal officials met with the group, often sitting crossed-legged on blankets inside the old prison Dining Hall, discussing the social needs of the Indians. The volume of visitors became overwhelming, and the island started to become a haven for the homeless and the less fortunate. The Indians soon were faced with the same problems that had assailed the prison administration: there were no natural resources on the island, and all food and water had to be ferried over by boat. This was an expensive and exhausting process.
Despite special prohibitions that had been declared by the Native Americans, drugs and alcohol were prominently smuggled onto Alcatraz, and the situation quickly became unmanageable. The social organization of the group soon fell apart, and the Indians were forced to resort to drastic measures in order to survive. In an attempt to raise money to buy food, they allegedly began stripping copper wiring and tubing from the island buildings for sale as scrap metal. The worst tragedy occurred when Yvonne Oakes, the daughter of one of the key activists, fell to her death from the third story balcony of an apartment building. The Oakes family left the island in grave despair, and never returned. Then late on the evening of June 1, 1970, fires started by the occupants raged through several of the prison buildings, as well as the Warden's home, the lighthouse keeper's residence, and the Officers’ Club, and badly damaged the historic lighthouse that had been built in 1854.
By now tensions had developed between Federal officials and the Indians, as the Federal agents blamed the activists for the destruction, and the activists blamed government saboteurs. The press, which until this point had been largely sympathetic toward the Indians, now turned against their cause, and began to publish stories of
alleged beatings and assaults among the island’s new residents. Public support for the Indians fell drastically. The original organizers had all deserted the island, and those who remained fought amongst themselves, thus providing clear evidence of a loss of solidarity in their society. On June 11, 1971, twenty Federal marshals and Coast Guard officers 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 Indian occupation of Alcatraz.
From Penitentiary to National Park
Despite the fact that Alcatraz has been closed for several decades, its reputation still lives on, and continues to inspire both fictional and non-fictional books and films. The fictional movie “the Rock,” starring Sean Connery, Nicholas Cage, and Ed Harris, and JJ Abrams television series “Alcatraz” are just a few productions set against the backdrop of Alcatraz.
Alcatraz will forever remain woven into the fabric of life in San Francisco, and it will stand as an iconic symbol in the annals of American history and folklore.
Former Alcatraz inmates reunite with officers and family members at one of the anniversary events held on Alcatraz each year. Seen here are former inmates Glenn Nathan Williams and Jim Quillen. Both men have written compelling books about their time served at the infamous prison.
Former inmate Glenn “Nate” Williams with the author in 1991 on Alcatraz during a research visit for this book (photo courtesy of Joy Williams).
Willie Radkay, a veteran of Alcatraz. He is seen here during one of the reunions in 2002, at age ninety-one. Radkay and Machine Gun Kelly shared cells adjacent to one another, and was also close friends with Dale Stamphill and Basil “Owl” Banghart.
Armory Officer Clifford Fish returned to Alcatraz in 2002, which was the first time since his retirement from the prison in 1962. He is seen with a Discovery Channel film crew filming inside the Alcatraz “Dungeon”.
Former inmate Tom Kent and Father Bernie Bush meet with visitors inside the cellhouse chapel to discuss their memories of Alcatraz during a reunion event.
Former Alcatraz Inmate Bob Luke with the author during his first ever look inside the East Gun Gallery in 2011. Luke had kept his past a secret for over 50-years, before finally going public and visiting Alcatraz as a free man.
Former inmates Darwin Coon (left) and Leon Thompson (right) with former guard John Hernan (center) inside the prison hospital during an Alcatraz reunion event in 2003. Thompson passed away in 2005 and Coon in 2011. Thompson’s obituary read in part: “He was a tough guy of the old school, a bank robber and hardened criminal who spent 24 years in prison including four years of hard time in Alcatraz. He also turned his life around, becoming a best-selling author who spent his last free years riding motorcycles and gardening, painting and raising two wolves, among other pets, at his home in Fiddletown, an old Gold Rush town in Amador County.” Darwin Coon was also an important presence on the Rock and frequently returned to meet with visitors. He lived in San Francisco with a prominent view of Alcatraz outside his window. He openly shared his story and helped shape the real story of life inside Alcatraz.
Thompson on Alcatraz in July of 1960.
Alcatraz’s youngest Correctional Officer Frank Heaney, with former officer Larry Quilligan in 2008. Both men arrived on Alcatraz during the same period and roommates for a brief period on the island.
Frank Heaney arrived at Alcatraz in 1948. He was hired by Warden Swope when only 21-years of age and became the youngest officer to serve on the island.
In 1972, Congress created the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and Alcatraz Island was included as part of the new National Park Service unit. The island was opened to the public on October 25, 1973, and it has since become one of the most popular Park Service sites, with more than one million visitors from around the world each year. Today Alcatraz is considered an ecological preserve, and it is home to one of the largest western gull colonies on the northern California coast. The thrill of touring Alcatraz derives both from the awareness of its historical significance, and from the various portrayals of prison life that have been popularized through Hollywood motion pictures. People come from all over the world to meet eye-to-eye with the ghosts of America's toughest criminals. Meanwhile, many of the former inmates are still trying to come to terms with their imprisonment on Alcatraz, and they seek to understand why people would visit a place that represented for them only a monument of pure anguish and deep despair.
“There will always be the need for specialized facilities for the desperados, the irredeemable, and the ruthless, but Alcatraz and all that it had come to mean now belong, we may hope, to history.”
- James V. Bennett, Director of the Bureau of Prisons
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APPENDICIES
ALCATRAZ: INMATE RULES AND REGULATIONS
Alcatraz: Inmate Regulations, 1956
Note: These "Institution Rules & Regulations" were in effect at the United States Penitentiary, Alcatraz, during Warden Paul J. Madigan's administration (1955-1961). They were issued to all inmates in the form of a typewritten booklet to be kept in the cell.
REGULATIONS FOR INMATES U.S.P., ALCATRAZ REVISED 1956
INMATE Reg. NUMBER, _________________
This set of Institution Regulations is issued to you as Institutional Equipment. You are required to keep it in your cell at all times.
INDEX
1. GOOD CONDUCT
2. GOOD WORK RECORD
3. GOOD CONDUCT RECORD & GOOD WORK RECORD
4. STATUTORY GOOD TIME, MERITORIOUS GOOD TIME AND INDUSTRIAL GOOD TIME
5. PRIVILEGES
6. DISCIPLINARY ACTION
7. TREATMENT UNIT
8. PROSECUTION IN THE U.S. DISTRICT COURT
9. FORFEITURE OR WITHHOLDING OF EARNED GOOD TIME, STATUTORY GOOD TIME OR INDUSTRIAL GOOD TIME
10. RESTORATION OF FORFEITED OR WITHHELD GOOD TIME
11. TRANSFER TO OTHER FEDERAL INSTITUTIONS
12. RECOMMENDATION FOR CLEMENCY FOR MILITARY PRISONERS
13. YOUR COMMITTED NAME & REGISTER NUMBER
14. COMMENDATORY REPORTS
15. DISCIPLINARY REPORTS
16. CONTRABAND
17. ATTEMPTING TO BRIBE EMPLOYEES
18. THREATENING, RIDICULING, OR ATTEMPTING TO INTIMIDATE OR ASSAULT OFFICERS, OFFICIALS, EMPLOYEES OR VISITORS
20. RECREATION
21. WORK
22. LOAFING, LOITERING, VISITING OR UNAUTHORIZED ABSENCE FROM WORK
23. YOUR CONSTRUCTIVE SUGGESTIONS OR LEGITIMATE COMPLAINTS
24. INTERVIEW REQUEST SLIPS
25. MONEY
26. PRISONER'S TRUST FUND
27. THE PRISONER'S MAIL BOX
28. DAILY ROUTINES
29. BATH ROOM RULES
30. CELLHOUSE RULES
31. CLASSIFICATION, PAROLE, EDUCATION & SOCIAL MATTERS
32. CLOTHING
33. DINING ROOM RULES
34. HAIRCUTS & SHAVES
35. INTERVIEWS
36. MEDICAL ATTENTION
37. MOVEMENT OF INMATES
38. SUPPLIES
39. WORK REGULATIONS
40. AUDITORIUM RULES
41. CORRESPONDENCE
42. YARD PRIVILEGES
43. LEGAL WORK: USE OF TYPEWRITERS
44. LIBRARY RULES
45. MOVIES
46. MUSIC RULES
47. RADIO
48. RELIGIOUS SERVICES
49. SPECIAL PURCHASES
50. TOBACCO & SMOKING REGULATIONS
51. VISITS
52. GOOD TIME LAW
53. GENERAL RULE
REGULATIONS FOR INMATES... S.P., ALCATRAZ
This booklet is issued for the information and guidance of inmates of the U.S. Penitentiary, Alcatraz, California. It outlines the Institution's routines and explains what is expected of you in the matter of conduct and work. You are expected to learn and obey the rules and to perform your assigned work to the best of your ability.
1. GOOD CONDUCT means conducting yourself in a quiet and orderly manner and keeping your cell neat, clean and free from contraband. It means obeying the rules of the Institution and displaying a co-operative attitude. It also means obeying orders of Officials, Officers and other employees without delay or argument.
2. GOOD WORK RECORD means the reputation you establish as a willing, capable workman, doing your best at whatever work you are told to do.
3. YOUR GOOD CONDUCT RECORD AND YOUR GOOD WORK RECORD will be reviewed every time you are considered for work assignments, cell changes, and disciplinary action.
4. STATUTORY GOOD TIME, MERITORIOUS GOOD TIME AND INDUSTRIAL GOOD TIME are types of reduction in sentence which can be earned only by inmates who establish and keep a good conduct record and a good work record.
5. PRIVILEGES. You are entitled to food, clothing, shelter and medical attention. Anything else that you get is a privilege. You earn your privileges by conducting yourself properly. "Good Standing" is a term applied to inmates who have a good conduct record and a good work record and who are not undergoing disciplinary restrictions.
6. DISCIPLINARY ACTION may result in loss of some or all of your privileges and/or confinement in the Treatment Unit.
7. TREATMENT UNIT is the segregation section of the Institution where privileges may be restricted to a minimum.
8. PROSECUTION IN THE U.S. DISTRICT COURT in addition to Institutional disciplinary action may result if you commit any serious offense such as assault, escape, attempt to escape, rioting, destruction of government property, etc.
Alcatraz: A Definitive History of the Penitentiary Years Page 53