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Feb 1, 2024 · Transformation into a Federal Penitentiary. In 1933, the island was transferred from the U.S. Army to the Department of Justice, and in 1934, Alcatraz was repurposed as a federal penitentiary designed to hold the most troublesome inmates from other prisons—individuals who had a history of escape attempts or were exceedingly violent.
Most of the prisoners were notorious bank robbers, counterfeiters, or murderers. Among the first inmates were also 14 men from McNeil Island, Washington. On August 22, 1934, 43 prisoners arrived from Atlanta Penitentiary and 10 from North Eastern Penitentiary, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.
- 312
- August 11, 1934; 89 years ago
- March 21, 1963; 60 years ago
Sep 10, 2021 · Al Capone, Machine-Gun Kelly, Doc Barker, and more legendary criminals all became neighbors in the cramped, unforgiving environment. Yet these were not the first prisoners to be cooped up on Alcatraz Island. In fact, they were nearly a century too late to claim that title.
Nov 4, 2020 · Punishments at Alcatraz were even worse than the code of silence. Shutterstock. Punishments on "Devil's Island" were particularly brutal. According to Crime Magazine, the prison's worst-behaved were sent to D Block, which contained 42 cells featuring varying degrees of punishment. The worst of these was most definitely the Strip Cell.
- Cody Copeland
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Nov 25, 2018 · Brought down quietly from McNeill Island in Washington State, the initial “chain” of fourteen prisoners was brought to Oakland via train and transported to the penitentiary on the island’s motor launch. Only after they were safely ensconced in their cells did the newspapers get wind of their arrival.
Among its famous denizens were Al Capone, George (“Machine Gun”) Kelly, and Robert Stroud, the “Birdman of Alcatraz.” Although Alcatraz was able to house 450 convicts in cells that measured about 10 feet by 4.5 feet (3 metres by 1.5 metres), no more than 250 prisoners ever occupied the island at one time.
This is a list of notable inmates of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. An inmate register reveals that there were 1576 prisoners in total which were held at Alcatraz during its time as a Federal Penitentiary, between 1934 and 1963, although figures reported have varied and some have stated it to be 1557.
