Picture I took at Alcatraz Island in 2012.
Alcatraz Island is an abandoned military prison just
offshore from San Francisco, California, in the San Francisco Bay. Due to its
isolation, and surrounding of intense currents, it was the perfect location to
hold prisoners from the Civil War. After the war, the
fortifications and firepower were being deemed obsolete technology by the
military, and such, underground tunnels begun construction but were never fully
completed. Inmates were previously held in a basement, but upon the realization
that the island held great detention qualities, a proper facility was built for
these military prisoners of war. After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake the
prisoners were relocated to the island and not long after in 1909 construction
on the main block began.
Image taken from (link)
The prison was financially unable to continue functioning
due to its ridiculous run-cost, which was around $10 a day per prisoner, as
opposed to $3 in most prisons. This combined with 50 years of salt water
corrosion of the buildings, the prison was ultimately closed in 1963. Today,
the island allows tours, which take visitors on a boat to the island, where a
guide displays a majority of the cell blocks and features. I was lucky enough
to experience this when I visited in 2012, the island feels as though it’s been
untouched since the prisoners left. I highly recommend visiting Alcatraz, as it
is something you need to personally experience to fully know its depth.
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