Escape From Alcatraz

    It was 9:30 p.m. on June 11, 1962. The lights at Alcatraz prison went out. Most of the men living there tried to sleep.

    But not Frank Morris. He waited for the prison to get quiet. His heart pounded. If his plan worked, he would never sleep in this prison again.

    For months, Morris and three other prisoners—Allen West and brothers Clarence and John Anglin—had been planning to escape. The prison sat on an island in San Francisco Bay. People said it was impossible to break free from “the Rock,” as Alcatraz was known.

    Morris and his friends had a plan. They had used tiny tools to chip away at the walls of their cells. Slowly, they made holes big enough to crawl through. Then they climbed up the pipes behind their cells and set up a workshop.

    Here they used stolen and handmade tools to make a raft out of raincoats. They hoped it would keep them alive in the rough, freezing waters of the bay.

    At precisely 9:30 on the night of June 11, 1962, the lights at Alcatraz prison went out. Most of the prisoners shivered on their thin beds, trying to fall asleep.

    But not Frank Morris. Heart pounding, he waited for the prison to get quiet. If his plan succeeded, he would never sleep in this prison again.

    For months, Morris and three other prisoners—Allen West and brothers Clarence and John Anglin—had been secretly planning to escape. Alcatraz sat at the top of an island surrounded by San Francisco Bay. People said it was impossible to break free from “the Rock,” as the prison was known.

    Morris and his friends had come up with a clever plan. They had used tiny tools to chip away at the walls of their cells until they made holes large enough to crawl through. Then they climbed up the pipes behind their cells and set up a secret workshop.

    In the workshop, they used stolen and handmade tools to fashion a raft out of raincoats. It was their only hope for surviving the rough, freezing waters of San Francisco Bay.

    Morris and the Anglin brothers had a hard journey ahead. Alcatraz was built to be impossible to escape.

    In the 1930s, there were many robberies and murders in the United States. People thought the country needed a “super-prison.” Alcatraz seemed like the perfect place to lock up these criminals. It sat on a tiny island one-and-a-half miles from shore.

    In August 1934, Alcatraz opened as a federal prison. Other prisons were told that Alcatraz would take their biggest troublemakers. By the end of the year, Alcatraz had more than 200 inmates.

    Morris and the Anglins had a difficult journey ahead of them—Alcatraz was designed to be impossible to escape.

    During the 1930s, an alarming number of robberies and murders were taking place in the United States. People became convinced that the country needed a “super-prison” to contain the most difficult and dangerous criminals. Alcatraz, which sat by itself on a tiny island one-and-a-half miles from shore, seemed like the perfect location.

    In August 1934, Alcatraz opened as a federal prison. Other prisons were told that Alcatraz would take their biggest troublemakers. By the end of the year, Alcatraz was home to more than 200 criminals.

    A prisoner at Alcatraz found himself in a harsh world. Prisoners banged on bars. No newspapers were allowed. Inmates could only listen to certain radio shows. 

    At 6:30 a.m., the men would wake up. They stood to be counted. Then they cleaned their cells and marched in one line to breakfast. After breakfast, guards counted the forks, knives, and spoons. They had to make sure no one used them later as weapons. 

    During the day, guards marched the inmates to jobs in places like the laundry room and the garden. The prisoners were counted constantly. Bedtime was at 9:30 p.m. on the dot. Anyone who broke the rules faced cruel punishments.

    Life at Alcatraz was hard. Prisoners banged on bars. No newspapers were allowed. Inmates could only listen to certain radio shows.

    At 6:30 a.m., the men would wake up. They stood to be counted. Then they cleaned their cells and marched to breakfast. After breakfast, guards counted the forks, knives, and spoons. They had to make sure no one used them later as weapons.

    The inmates worked in places like the laundry room and the garden. The men were counted often. Bedtime was at 9:30 p.m. sharp. Inmates who broke the rules faced cruel punishments.

    A prisoner at Alcatraz found himself in a harsh world. Prisoners banged on bars. No newspapers were allowed, and inmates could listen to only certain radio shows.

    At 6:30 a.m., the men would wake up. After standing to be counted, they cleaned their cells and marched single-file to breakfast. After breakfast, guards counted the forks, knives, and spoons to make sure no one used them later as weapons.

    During the day, guards marched the inmates to jobs in places like the laundry room and the garden. The prisoners were counted constantly. Bedtime was at 9:30 p.m. on the dot. Anyone who broke the rules faced cruel punishments.

    Alcatraz was a prison for 29 years. But by 1963, it was too expensive to keep open. The government closed it. Today, it's a landmark run by the National Park Service. More than a million tourists visit every year. They learn about the 36 men who tried to escape.

    Of those 36 men, 23 were caught, 6 were killed, and 2 drowned. Experts believe that two others were swept out to sea.

    That leaves three men: Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers. After June 11, 1962, they were never heard from again.

    There was a big search. In the end, officials said the men probably drowned. But some people don’t think so. There are still rumors that the men are alive. Some people say they’ve seen them. More than 50 years after the escape, a federal officer is still investigating the case.

    What do you think? Did the men get away? Or did they die in the rough waters of San Francisco Bay?

    Alcatraz was a prison for 29 years—but in 1963, the government shut it down because it had become too expensive to operate. Today, Alcatraz is a landmark run by the National Park Service. More than a million tourists visit every year and learn about the 36 men who tried to escape.

    Of those 36 men, 23 were caught, 6 were killed, and 2 drowned. Experts believe that two others who tried to escape were swept out to sea.

    That leaves three men: Frank Morris and John and Clarence Anglin. After the night of June 11, 1962, they were never seen or heard from again.

    A massive search for the men was conducted. Ultimately, officials concluded that the prisoners probably drowned—but not everyone believes that. There are still rumors that the men are alive, and some people even claim to have seen them. More than 50 years after the escape, a federal officer is still investigating the case.

    What do you think? Did Morris and the Anglin brothers make it—or did they perish in the rough, icy waters of San Francisco Bay?