Why Did Alcatraz Close?
March 21st marks the anniversary of the closure of Alcatraz Prison. Why did this iconic penitentiary shut down after only 29 years?
The reputation of Alcatraz remains strong, even though it has now been closed for longer than it was ever open. For nearly 30 years, the remote island prison saw some of the country’s worst criminals serve their time. Modern-day institutions with harsh rules and a foreboding presence are still likened to this infamous penitentiary. On March 21st, 1963, Alcatraz closed for good. So what happened for the government to decide to throw the switch and give up on this notorious prison?
Alcatraz was the perfect location for a secure prison. The island lies just 1.25 miles from the shore, making it accessible enough to travel to but still far enough into the bay to be secure. The government took over ownership of the island in 1849, at the time of the Gold Rush, and adapted it to meet its needs. It became a fort, a military prison, and then a more substantial federal prison in 1934.
There is a misconception that an escape attempt sealed the fate of Alcatraz. This was meant to be the most impenetrable maximum-security prison. The steep cliffs and rough waters in the bay meant there was no way of getting back to the mainland without help. This didn’t deter three prisoners, Morris and the Anglin Brothers, who concocted an elaborate scheme with fake heads in their beds and broke out. They were never seen again, leading to the assumption that they perished in the water before reaching San Francisco. While this incident reflected badly on the security of Alcatraz, it wasn’t the final nail in the coffin.
Officials had already decided to close the prison long before. The real reason is purely financial. Alcatraz was expensive to run, far more expensive than the government could justify. The day-to-day running of the prison was costly enough on its own, as they had to continually bring in fresh water, food, and other supplies from the mainland. This cost around three times as much as other federal prisons on the mainland. Then there was the maintenance of the building. The saltwater penetrated the walls, and the prison needed up to $5 million of work to get it back up to code. Reports showed that it would be far more cost-effective to simply close the place down and build something new – so they did.
There were hopes that that island’s purpose could evolve and the building might become a museum or academic institution instead, but President Nixon put an end to that in 1971. In 1972, the island was incorporated into the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. It remains a valuable asset for tourism in the area and is now an important nesting site for the many birds of Alcatraz.
Today, visitors can take a boat out to the island and explore its social history and ecology. The building will always be a former prison and a fascinating part of the San Francisco Bay landscape, no matter what happens to it in the future or how many seabirds decide to colonize it.