Cecily Zamora
Alcatraz was a forbidding prison surrounded by the cold, rough waters of the Pacific. From 1934 until the prison was closed in 1963, 36 men tried 14 separate escapes. The inmates were subjected to strict rules, including a dozen checks a day, and censorship of their reading material. They were permitted to eat as much as they liked within 20 minutes, provided they left no waste.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Crimes | Bank robbery, burglary, prostitution rings, gambling houses, murder, robbery, rackets, bootlegging, escape attempts |
| Censorship | Sex, crime and violence were censored from all books and magazines |
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What You'll Learn
Bank robbery
Alcatraz was a maximum-security prison that housed some of the most dangerous criminals in the United States from 1934 until it closed in 1963. One of the inmates, Frank Morris, was convicted of bank robbery, among other crimes.
To carry out a bank robbery, criminals typically need to plan and prepare in advance. This may include casing the bank to learn about its security measures, such as alarms, cameras, and guard schedules. They may also need to obtain weapons and other equipment, such as masks or disguises, to avoid being identified. Bank robbers often work in teams, with each member having a specific role, such as the lookout, the getaway driver, or the person who enters the bank to carry out the robbery.
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Kidnapping
Alcatraz was home to some of the most notorious criminals in US history, including several kidnappers.
George 'Machine Gun' Kelly was a notorious kidnapper who spent 17 years at Alcatraz. He was involved in the 1933 kidnapping of oil magnate Charles Urschel, for which he was sentenced to life imprisonment. Kelly arrived at Alcatraz in 1934 and remained there until 1951 or 1954, according to different sources.
Alvin 'Creepy Karpis' Karpowicz was the leader of the Barker-Karpis gang, which was infamous for kidnappings and bank robberies during the Great Depression. Karpis was captured by J Edgar Hoover in 1936 and sentenced to life imprisonment. He was transferred to Alcatraz the same year and spent over 25 years there, becoming one of the prison's longest-serving inmates.
Doc Barker, another member of the Karpis-Barker gang, was also imprisoned at Alcatraz from 1935 to 1939. He was convicted of murder, robbery, and kidnapping.
These men were among the most dangerous criminals of their time, and their crimes, including kidnapping, led them to the formidable Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary.
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Murder
Alcatraz was home to some of the nation's most dangerous people, and even with its notoriously strong security, the prison was a dangerous place.
There were several murders at Alcatraz, including the killing of Rufus McCain, who had tried to escape the prison with two other inmates in 1939. The escape attempt failed, and one of his co-conspirators was shot and killed by guards. Less than a year later, the other surviving escapee, Henri Young, fatally stabbed McCain with a sharpened spoon. Young was put on trial for the murder, which was depicted in the 1995 film *Murder in the First*.
Another murder at Alcatraz involved inmate Maurice Herring, who fought with fellow inmate Cecil Snow in the showers. Herring knocked Snow to the floor and was straddling him, hitting him in the head, when Snow stabbed Herring in the chest and thigh with a knife, severing an artery. Bleeding profusely, Herring stumbled away and collapsed from loss of blood. He was pronounced dead within half an hour.
George DeVincenzi, a former correctional officer at Alcatraz, wrote a book called *Murders on Alcatraz*, which includes factual accounts of working with famous inmates such as Robert Stroud, Birdman, Waxey Gordon, Alvin Creepy Carpis, and Machine Gun Kelly.
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Burglary
At common law, burglary was defined by Sir Matthew Hale as: 'The breaking and entering the house of another in the night time, with intent to commit a felony therein, whether the felony be actually committed or not.' Breaking can be either actual, such as forcing open a door, or constructive, such as by fraud or threats. Breaking does not require that anything be 'broken' in terms of physical damage occurring. A person who has permission to enter part of a house, but not another part, commits a breaking and entering when they use any means to enter a room where they are not permitted, so long as the room was not open to enter.
To get a burglary conviction, a prosecutor generally must prove that the defendant entered a certain enclosed space. Any part of the body may constitute an 'entry', and a wide range of places may fit within the scope of the statute. One broad burglary law is Florida Statutes Section 810.02, which applies not only to dwellings and other structures but also to conveyances like cars, boats, and trailers. When a statute is broad, it may impose enhanced charges and penalties if a burglary occurred in certain types of spaces, such as dwellings or inhabited structures. The defendant usually must have lacked permission or authorization for the entry. A burglary charge might also arise in some states if the defendant initially had the right to enter the space but stayed there illegally. For example, New York Penal Law Section 140.20 prohibits both entering and remaining unlawfully in a building.
Frank Morris was imprisoned at Alcatraz for bank robbery, burglary and other crimes.
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Escape attempts
Alcatraz was a maximum-security prison, and the people held there had committed a range of serious crimes. The prison was designed to be escape-proof, with tough iron bars, guard towers, and strict rules, including a dozen checks a day of the prisoners. Despite this, 36 men attempted 14 escapes between 1934 and 1963, when the prison closed.
Another well-known escape attempt was by Alvin Karpis, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for 10 murders, six kidnappings, and one robbery. Karpis was a member of the Karpis-Barker gang, a notorious criminal gang known for robbing banks, hijacking mail deliveries, and kidnapping. During his time at Alcatraz, Karpis planned an escape with two other prisoners, but he was shot and killed by the guards.
Life at Alcatraz was highly regulated, with strict rules and routines governing the prisoners' daily lives. They were subject to multiple checks per day and had limited access to reading material, with crime-related pages torn out of magazines and newspapers prohibited. They were also expected to finish their meals within 20 minutes and not leave any waste, or they would be subject to punishment. Despite these restrictions, many prisoners still found ways to attempt escapes, driven by their desire for freedom.
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Frequently asked questions
Inmates were sent to Alcatraz for crimes including bank robbery, burglary, and other crimes.
Inmates at Alcatraz were subjected to strict rules and regulations, including a dozen checks a day and heavily censored reading material. They were also required to adhere to a strict schedule, with meals served at specific times and a 30-minute rest period in the middle of the day.
From 1934 until the prison closed in 1963, 36 men attempted 14 separate escapes. Nearly all were caught or didn't survive the attempt. However, the fate of three inmates remains a mystery to this day.
The breakfast menu at Alcatraz included assorted dry cereals, steamed whole wheat, a scrambled egg, milk, stewed fruit, toast, bread, and butter.
Inmates were permitted to subscribe to magazines, but crime-related pages were torn out. Newspapers were prohibited.
