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ALCATRAZ – by Jane Bouterse an ISLAND CALLED HOME

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ALCATRAZ – by Jane Bouterse an ISLAND CALLED HOME ALCATRAZ – by Jane Bouterse AN ISLAND CALLED HOME ou know about it. The legends began Pelican / Mockingbird / Raven / is usually defined as meaning “pelican” or in 1850 and have only grown, so Nightingale “strange bird.” Ywhether by word of mouth, printed page, internet screen, mass media or Your discoveries will be many and The Alcatraz Island, before it became personal visit—you know about that 12 surprising. You will be even more amazed at home to a prison, was used as what? acre, “mystery-cloaked” rock in the middle of how “close to home” this legendary location San Francisco Bay—ALCATRAZ. But how happens to be to some Texarkana residents. Airport / Military site / Holiday resort / much do you really know? Just for fun, grab To understand completely requires starting National park a pen or pencil, circle your answers to the at the beginning—1775. That was the year questions , then read to learn the accuracy Spanish explorer Juan Manual de Ayala What was the prison’s nickname? of your choices: first sailed into what became known as San Francisco Bay. Ayala and company mapped The Bridge / The Brick / The Rock / The The name of the prison comes from a the bay and named one of its three islands Stone Spanish word Alcatraces. What does the Alcatraces, which has become Anglicized word mean? to Alcatraz. Although the exact meaning of According to the internet’s “A Brief the word remains controversial, Alcatraz History of Alcatraz,” in 1850 when California Rubble that remained after Indian occupation. 34 ALT Magazine For over 80 years, 1850 until was booming, a presidential order set the 1933, the U. S. Army utilized the Alcatraz having the best food in the prison system. island aside for possible use as a United prison until the island was transferred to (Is there any environment in which the States military reservation which could the U. S Department of Justice for use grapevine cannot grow?) The island’s most protect the Bay as well as its shores. The by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. “The famous prisoner was Robert Stroud, the U. S. Army had plans for positioning 100 Federal Government had decided to open so-called “Bird Man of Alcatraz.” Actually, in cannons on Alcatraz to make it the most a maximum-security, minimum-privilege Alcatraz Stroud never came in contact with heavily fortified military site on the West penitentiary to deal with the most incorrigible birds nor was he the grandfatherly figure Coast. Together with its sister islands, Fort inmates in Federal prisons.” Eventually the portrayed by Burt Lancaster in the movie, Point and Lime Point, these three formed a prison was nicknamed “America’s Devil’s Bird Man of Alcatraz. Stroud was transferred “triangle of defense” to protect the entrance Island,” but it never actually lived up to its from Leavenworth to Alcatraz because of the bay. Alcatraz also became the site of name. The average population of the prison of his violent behavior. During his time at the first operational lighthouse on the West was, at any given time, about 260-275 (the Leavenworth he wrote two books about Coast of the United States. prison never once reached its capacity canaries and their diseases, but his studies Although none of the cannons of 336). Requests from prisoners to be were discontinued when it was discovered were ever fired, Alcatraz was never without transferred to Alcatraz were frequent, as he hid contraband in his birds’ cages and a military presence, as military prisoners living conditions—one man to an eight-by- used his “scientific” tools to construct a began to be delivered to the island by the six-foot cell for 12 hours a day, for example, still for “home brew.” He spent 17 years at late 1850s. For over 100 years, the island were better than other federal prisons. In Alcatraz (most in segregation or the prison fortifications and location proved an ideal addition, Alcatraz had the reputation of hospital) and died in a prison hospital in prison. In 1909 the Army tore Springfield, Missouri. down the Citadel (the prison), Daily life in this “prison’s leaving its basement to serve as prison” was highly structured the foundation for a new prison and monotonous. Although which prisoners constructed some of the convicts were well- between 1909 and1911. The known—Al Capone, George new prison was designated “Machine Gun” Kelly, Alvin the “Pacific Branch, U. S. Karpis (the first Public Enemy Disciplinary Barracks for the #1)—most were unknowns U. S. Army. It was the prison whose refusal to comply with the building that later became rules and regulations of prison known as ‘The Rock.’” life needed changing. Others were considered violent and Alcatraz had a capacity for dangerous or escape risks. “At how many prisoners? Alcatraz, a prisoner had four 336 / 143 / 566 / 1033 rights: food, clothing, shelter, and medical care.” Privileges, Only prisoners sentenced such as corresponding with or to serve in Alcatraz were receiving visitors, exploring the incarcerated there, and they prison library or participating were freed only after they had in recreational activities like served their full sentences. painting or music, had to be True / False earned. Five years was the average time spent in Alcatraz Robert Stroud was the convict before a more co-operative portrayed by Burt Lancaster in convict could be transferred to the movie another prison within the Federal Mayor of Alcatraz / Swimmer of Pat Craven, left, with brother Mike Alcatraz / Bird Man of Alcatraz / Craven, spent their childhood on Hero of Alcatraz Alcatraz. Showers used by inmates. Al Capone’s Cell www.alt-mag.com 35 Prison System. perhaps only if an errant baseball would be the other, for the families. On the following tossed back to the concrete playing field . Sunday, the two would swap. Dependents, including children, of Older dependents understood the necessity Perhaps the greatest difference guards and support personnel lived on of their limitations, but toddlers often for any of the civilian population was the the prison grounds. required creative explanations. For example, isolation of Alcatraz. A grocery store made one troubled mother (according to an August staples available while a post office also Life for the prisoners was 6, 1954, Collier’s magazine story) explained provided a means of contact. The postmark intentionally predictable and routine, but to her three-year old puzzled by the carefully for Alcatraz was a pelican. Everything such was not always the case for the prison guarded men behind the wire that “’the bad had to be “imported” or “exported,” as personnel and their families who also lived men didn’t eat their vegetables.’” Alcatraz was solid rock with only patches on the island. In 1953 Harrison and Louise “After hearing the explanation, her of green. (No riding the horse-pulled lawn Craven transferred with their two younger three-year-old daughter walked over to a mower driven by prisoners as The Cravens sons, Pat and Mike, into a third floor had done at Leavenworth.) School age apartment of one of the dependent housing children attended either public or private buildings on the island. Harrison Craven school on the mainland. Each school was a Lieutenant Federal Correctional day they boarded either the Warden Officer, and he was moving his family Johnston or Warden McDowell, the prison’s from Leavenworth, Kansas, to Alcatraz. 64-foot cabin cruisers which usually They arrived before their furniture, so Pat made some 14 round trips a day. School Bergen, their dad’s boss, provided them children disembarked at the dock, “… camping gear to survive the transition then walked almost a half-mile to the bus made more palatable by the terrific stop—unescorted,” Pat explains almost in views from their new home. One window disbelief. “The older kids took care of the overlooked the playground while the younger ones, and we were never afraid.” other provided a panoramic view of San Mike observes, “I wouldn’t do that now.” Francisco Bay. The fog horn right outside The first school the Cravens their bedroom window did prove a bit attended was Winfield Scott public annoying, however. elementary school in the marina area. “We Officers and their families had the opportunity to be a minority,” both occupied the south tip of the island agree, “since Italians, Chinese and Asian below the crown of buildings housing the kids comprised the largest portions of the prisoners. The four acre residential section school’s population.“ was separated from the prison heights “Do you ever remember the big by 300 feet of distance “and a barrier of ships coming in?” Mike asks his brother. steel towers, concrete walls, wire fences They join in remembering the arrival of and armed men.” Otherwise, both Craven the U.S. Navy vessels. “When the fleet brothers, Pat, 5 years old at the time of the would come in, we would be dismissed move, and his brother Mike, who was one, from school to watch the ships.” In spite agree that life on Alcatraz was pretty normal grizzled trusty and sadly inquired: ‘Aren’t of their age differences at the time, both for the 60 families and 69 children who you sorry you didn’t eat your carrots?’” remember with nostalgic smiles the lights of called the island “home.” Of course, they According to Pat and Mike Craven, San Francisco, easily visible at night from were never allowed outside of the fenced- even contact with a trusty was random. the playground and “going on the boat and in play area, the former concrete military Otherwise, their lives were a “normal” these catching the spray, if you’re lucky.” One parade ground; they never had toys which two understood.
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