Alcatraz

Alcatraz, which is also known as ‘the Rock’, is the notorious American super-prison located on Alcatraz Island, a remote rocky outcrop in San Francisco Bay. It was home to the first lighthouse (1854) and the first US Fort on the West Coast (1859), before being used as a prison between 1934 and 1963. It was designed to remove kidnappers, racketeers and trouble makers far from the outside world and was home to some famous criminals including Al Capone, George ‘Machine Gun’ Kelly and Robert ‘The Birdman’ Stroud. Between 1969 and 1971, the island was taken over by Native Americans, when, under the leadership of Richard Oakes, they tried to lay claim to it for themselves. This led to the establishment of the US policy of self-determination for Indian tribes. Today, the whole island is preserved as part of the National Park system and is a venue for tourists rather than criminals, although a few former prisoners and guards can be heard on the prison’s audio tour of the famous Cell House.