Analysis: Did Anybody Escape Alcatraz

Did Anybody Escape Alcatraz? Prisons are a very important part of a working society, there will always be a certain group of people that will pose a threat to other law abiding citizens and prisons are a way to punish individuals that have caused harm. Alcatraz was one of the most famous prisons in the world and held some of the most dangerous criminals in the US, with this kind of individuals it is almost expected for some of them to try and fight for their freedom. It is rumored that some of these prisoners did indeed escape Alcatraz, however, we first need to learn some of the prison's history and not only the alleged successes but the multiple failures. The prison had terrible conditions, the cells were small and inconvenient and there was little to keep the

There were a multitude of attempts most failing in very different ways. “The first con to make a break for it was Joseph Bowers. In 1936 he clambered up a fence in full view of guards and was shot dead”(Stuller 84) but that was only the first one, the most famous one is titled “The Battle of Alcatraz”, “... a half-dozen convicts led by Bernard Coy and Joseph Cretzer managed seize weapons from a guard. They intended to "blast out" but were unable to get out of the cellhouse. The convicts controlled it for two days. While the Coast Guard and Navy circled the island…” (Stuller 84). They ultimately failed too. Floyd Hamilton Public Enemy No. 1 at the time, made it to the water and a manhunt failed to find him. Hamilton snuck back into a prison storeroom and fell asleep while awaiting capture because he couldn't bring himself to swim out of the island. (Stuller 84). This brutal island was incredibly hard to escape, not only did inmates have to to get past guards and through very thick walls but also get past the natural barriers that the island provides, making the attempt to escape a very difficult