OurSpeeches: Share with the World

Alcatraz

Written in: Grade 8 | Year: 2007

It was meant to scare even the world’s most vicious criminals, and it did just that. It stripped Al Capone of his power, took the birds way from the bird man and even tamed machine gun Kelly. It was the best of the worst. It was Alcatraz.
Good morning/ afternoon teachers and students. This year for my speech I have chosen the prison Alcatraz.

Alcatraz, or “the Rock” didn’t start off as a high security prison, it actually served as a lighthouse. Alcatraz was built in 1934, and is located in San Francisco California in the middle of the San Francisco Bay. By the time Alcatraz closed in 1963, it had certainly done its job. Government officials needed a prison as tough and as hard as its criminals, and the solution was Alcatraz.

Once you were in there was no going out. That’s how it was in Alcatraz. Well, accept for the few brave enough to try and escape. In its twenty nine years, there were 36 escape attempts from Alcatraz. Twenty three were caught, six were shot and killed, and two drowned. Two men, after being caught were later executed in the gas chamber.

What exactly is a successful escape? It is getting out of the cell house, reaching the water, making it to land, or reaching land and not getting caught. Officially, no one ever succeeded in escaping from Alcatraz, although five prisoners are listed as missing and presumed drowned.

James Borman, Harold Brest, Floyd Hamilton and Fred Hunter managed to take two officers as hostages and make it all the way to the water’s edge before one of the officers was able to make contact and get help. Shots were fired at Borman, Brest and Hamilton who were swimming. Hunter and Brest both surrendered. Borman was hit by gunfire and sank below the waters surface. Hamilton was initially presumed drowned. But two days later, after hiding out in a small shoreline cave, made his way back up to the industries area as if nothing ever happened.

Life in Alcatraz wasn’t pretty. The purpose of Alcatraz was to tame the untameable. The inmates were kept busy all day long. At 6:30, their day began. They would have to first tidy up their cells, had 20 minutes for breakfast, and then were marched out to get to work. The types of work assignments given to an inmate varied depending on the prisoner, their classification and how responsible they were. Many inmates worked as general servants who cooked, cleaned and attended to household chores. Others worked outside the whole day.

The prison had 4 cell blocks, a-d. The main corridor was called the "Broadway." The cells were considered the least desirable because the floor was made of very cold cement. They were also the least private because guards, inmates, and other personnel frequently passed through this corridor. The newer inmates were generally assigned to the B Block in a quarantine status for the first three months.

The first few months were especially hard for Al Capone, one of Alcatraz’s most famous prisoners. Al Capone was a tough gangster who was a well respected man, but only out of fear. Although he was in prison, he still somehow had connections on the outside. No special privileges were provided for him while in Alcatraz, but while at other prisons it is said he had carpeted floors, personal bedding, a radio, and even had the guards working for him. When he arrived at Alcatraz all that changed. Warden Johnston set him straight. Even after many persuading for special privileges, nothing was ever given to him. He had spent 4 and half years on Alcatraz before it closed, and his life wasn’t easy.

Another famous inmate was Robert Stroud, also know as the bird man of Alcatraz. In 1909 he murdered a bartender and was convicted in 1911 for manslaughter. He didn’t start off his sentence at Alcatraz, but after stabbing an officer for not being allowed to visit with his brother, he was then convicted of 1st degree murder. He was sentenced to be hung, but in 1920 that sentence changed to life imprisonment without parole. But unlike at the other prisons, he was not allowed to keep birds in his cell while at Alcatraz. He first became fascinated with canaries, and then took an interest in all birds while staying at Leavenworth penitentiary. They found that this was a positive outlet for his extra time, so they allowed him to keep his birds and do research. But at Alcatraz, Warden Johnston decided that the birds would be taken away from the birdman. He spent 17 years in Alcatraz, and then died on Nov. 21st, 1963 the year the prison closed.

George Kelly, better known as Machine Gun Kelly, was convicted of kidnapping two men and for killing one of them. The weapon: a machine gun, which then became his signature weapon and his nickname. He was sentenced to life imprisonment. Due to uncontrollable rage he was transferred to Alcatraz. Thanks to Warden Johnston and the all around lifestyle in Alcatraz, they were able to tame the violent, ill-tempered convict.

Today, Alcatraz serves as one of the biggest tourist attractions and famous landmarks of San Francisco. It is a reminder to us of the harsh sentences and punishments many had to endure. So just think, next time you get in trouble, at least it won’t be as bad as it was in Alcatraz.
Thank You!