Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary - Alcatraz Island - Virtual Tour 360°

Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary or Alcatraz Prison was a federal maximum security prison located on Alcatraz Island, approximately 2km off the coast of San Francisco, California, United States, which was operational since August 11, 1934 to March 21, 1963.

The US Department of Justice acquired the existing facilities on Alcatraz Island on October 12, 1933, and opened a federal prison there in August of the following year after appropriate modernizations to the complex.

The isolation of the place, the presence of freezing currents in the waters of the San Francisco Bay and the presence of maximum security structures, made the island an escape-proof prison as well as the most solid prison in all of America.

Alcatraz was used to incarcerate those inmates who were considered problematic in other prisons.

In addition to the prison facilities on the island there were the houses of the prison staff and their families.

Due to the high maintenance costs, Alcatraz prison closed its doors on March 21, 1963, the prison was divided into four blocks of cells, the guard's office, the visiting room, the library and the barber.

Working for Alcatraz prisoners was considered a privilege that could only be accessed with good conduct and many of these were employed in the Model Industries Building and New Industries Building, while others were employed for manual labor or practical prison duties. as in laundry management.

Map: Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary - Alcatraz Island - Virtual Tour 360°