Escape From Alcatraz Alcatraz, thought to be inescapable, 3 inmates proved them wrong. On the night of June 11, 1962, criminals Frank Morris, John and Clarence Anglin, did the impossible. They went into a cold and dangerous sea, and disappeared. 55 years later, the mystery continues. On Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay, a prison, made to crush the hopes of the best escape artists, contained America 's worst criminals. The 22 acre prison is surrounded by guard towers and the walls all have barbed wire . Every cell has reinforced bars, and there is 1 guard for every 3 prisoners. Around the prison’s walls are the freezing cold waters of the San Francisco Bay. This maximum-security prison was nicknamed The Rock. On June 11, 1962, three