Two Guys From Michigan Visit Alcatraz: Here’s What They Saw

There are a number of famous prisons in the country: Sing-Sing, Leavenworth, Folsom Prison, Attica, San Quentin, Riker’s Island…..but the most famous, legendary, talked-about prison was Alcatraz.

Alcatraz was where the famous and infamous gangsters, mobsters, and criminals were sent: Al Capone, Robert Stroud (the Birdman of Alcatraz), Machine Gun Kelly, Mickey Cohen, Alvin Karpis and others.

Escapes? The most famous escape from Alcatraz was planned – and seemingly succeeded – by Frank Morris and brothers Clarence and John Anglin in 1962. The Clint Eastwood film “Escape From Alcatraz” was the story of Morris and the Anglins and the escape is still debated to this day. Some say they drowned and the bodies were never found, while a majority believes they succeeded. Relatives and friends claim that the three remained free and alive until they passed away and were occasionally in contact with them.

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So how bad were inmates treated there? According to Alcatraz History, each prisoner had four basic rights: clothes, doctor’s care, food, and a roof over their heads. Anything else had to be earned through good behavior: visits from friends and family, a prison job, library access, and hobby activities like painting, drawing, other types of artwork, playing an instrument, etc.

Letting their curiosities get the best of them, a couple of our Michigan boys took a trip out west to San Francisco to explore this classic, historic prison and get some good shots. The gallery below shows you some of the things they saw…

SOME MICHIGAN JAILS AND PRISONS: