The United States Disciplinary Barracks on Alcatraz was acquired by the United States Department of Justice on October 12, 1933, and the island became a Federal Bureau of Prisons federal prison in August 1934
Beginning on November 20, 1969, a group of Native Americans called United Indians of All Tribes, mostly college students from San Francisco, occupied the island to protest federal policies related to American Indians. Some of them were children of Indians who had resettled in the city as part of an urbanization program encouraged by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) from the 1930s to the 1950s
While in Alcatraz i managed to meet and chat with ex inmate Darwin Coon .
Darwin was convicted of armed robbery and has since died (Feb 2011)
He was on of the last twenty prisoners to leave the notorious prison in 1963 having spent about five years there including 29 days in an isolation cell for being caught with a knife . . He told me a few stories once he felt at ease ; at first Darwin was fairly quiet and reserved . Darwin said he helped make the dummies heads used as decoys in the escape of Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers . The dummies head made it look like the escaped prisoners were still asleep .
Darwin Coon signs his autobiography - Alcatraz The True End Of The Line
The cell of Frank Morris .
The prisoners chiseled away the moisture-damaged concrete from around an air vent leading to a corridor, using tools such as a metal spoon soldered with silver from a dime and an electric drill
Other notorious inmates include Al Capone and Robert Stroud The Birdman of Alcatraz
Control room
The Exercise yard - we were restricted from entering
The Dining room
I'm gonna hide in the back of the van
View from Alcatraz towards San Francisco
Morris and the Anglins did escape - they got off Alcatraz and were never caught .
Back to the Bay
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