On March 21, 1963 Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, the world-famous maximum-security prison located on a cold island in the San Francisco Bay, officially closed its doors. As the last 27 inmates were led off in handcuffs, the era of America’s most feared prison reached its end.
For nearly 30 years, Alcatraz was the place for the nation’s most unmanageable criminals. During its peak in the 1950s, it had over 200 inmates at a time. Because of its reputation for harsh discipline it earned nicknames like “America’s Devil Island”.
The prison was designed to be a place where the most dangerous prisoners could be kept far away from society. However, by the early 1960s, the prestige of the island prison began to fade. The decision to close Alcatraz was not based on a single event, but rather a combination of practical and financial reasons.
The main reason for the closure was the cost of running the facility. Because Alcatraz was located on an isolated island, everything had to be boated in. This included food, supplies, and fresh water. Every week, nearly one million gallons of water had to be transported to the island.
By 1963, it was costing the government about $10 per prisoner per day to operate Alcatraz. In comparison, a prison on the mainland cost only about $3 per day. At a time when the federal budget was under scrutiny, the “super-maximum” security of the island was simply becoming too expensive to justify.
In addition to the daily operating costs, the physical structure of the prison was falling apart. The salty sea air and humidity of the San Francisco Bay had caused severe damage to the building, causing it to crack and crumble. To keep the prison safe and functional, the government estimated it would need several million dollars in repairs.
When Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy ordered the closure, the prisoners were transferred to other federal institutions across the country. While the prison was famous for being impossible to escape, its ultimate downfall was not a jailbreak, but the rising costs and decaying walls.
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