Alcatraz:
Located in the San Francisco Bay

Charted by Spanish explorers in 1775 and named La isla de los Alcatraces, or, Island of Pelicans. The island was taken over in 1847 by the US military and in 1853 a military fortress was started. One year later a light house was constructed to guide ships through the Golden Gate.

In 1859, Alcatraz recieved its first prisoners which was a contengent of miltary court-martialed convicts. During the Civil War, around 1861, Confederate prisoners, Confederate privateers and southern sympathizers were also housed as prisoners at Alcatraz. The conditions were horrible. Prisoners were often bound by six foot chains to iron balls to restrict their movements. There were no bathrooms, heat or running water and because of the over crowding for the space available, lice infestation and disease ran from man to man. The prisoners survived on a menu of bread and water and were at times confined to "sweat-boxes".

During the period of 1870 to 1880, indians that refuse to "conform" to the white mans laws were confined to Alcatraz with the worst of the military prisoners. Often blood shed between the two races resulted as fights from disagreements broke out.

By 1902, the prison population had grown to 500 men per year and in 1904, work began to modernize the facility. Construction was completed in 1909 and in 1911 the facility was officially named the United States Disciplinary Barracks. Though considered to be modern by some standards, horrible conditions still exisited and the use of chains, shackled to the ankle with a 12 lb iron ball was still a practise.

In 1933 the facility was handed over to the Federal Bureau of Prisons and new construction started almost immediately. A new cell block was built atop the old fort which for the first time incorporated cat walks, gun walks, metal detectors, electric locks, cylone and barbed wire fencing, gun towers and tear gas containers were fitted in the ceiling of the dining hall and other locations inside the facility. Amoung the first inmates to the new facility were Al Capone, Doc Barker, the last surviving member of the Ma Barker gang, George "machine gun" Kelly, Robert "Birdman" Stroud, Alvin "Creepy" Karpis, and Floyd Hamilton, a driver and gang member for Bonnie and Clyde.

Alcatraz was a place of penitence, like Eastern State Penn, both were set up following the Quaker design for the American Prison System, inmates had five rights, food, clothing, a private cell, a shower once a week and the right to see a doctor.
Each of the cells measured 4 x 8 feet, had a single fold up bunk, a toilet, a chair and desk, and a sink. Prisoner's were awakened at 6:30 and were given 25 minutes to clean his cell and then stand to be counted. At 6:55 the prisoner's would be marched in single file to the mess hall, there they were given 20 minutes to eat and line up for work assignments. This routine was repititious, never varied and was methodical.

Considered to some be an un-escapable prison, Alcatraz continued to house prisoner's until 1963 when it closed its doors for good.

The fact that Alcatraz was built on an island and kept so isolated from public view, tales of inmates being tortured and their spirits coming back to haunt the halls of Alcatraz began to circulate.

The Hauntings of Alcatraz
Cell 14D, one of the "hole" cells is believed by some to be very active with spirits. Visitors and employees have reported feeling a raw coldness and at times a sudden "intensity" encompassed the cell.
Tales have been told of an event on the 1940's, when a prisoner locked in 14D screamed throughout the night that a creature with glownig eyes was killing him. The next day guards found the man strangled to death in the cell that he was alone in. No one ever claimed responsibility for the convicts death, however the next day when doing a head count, the guards counted one too many prisoners. Some of the guards claimed seeing the dead convict in line with the other inmates, but only for a second before he vanished.

Cell Block A, B, and C. Visitors to cell blocks A and B claim, and often report they hear crying and moaning in these area's. Upon investigation, nothing out of the norm is ever found.
While visiting cell block C, a psychic reported an encounter with a disruptive spirit named Butcher. Upon reviewing the prison records for cell block C, an inmate named Abie Maldowitz had been murdered by an ex mob hitman know as Butcher.

Al Capone. Al Capone spent his last years at Alcatrz and took up playing a banjo with a prison band. In fear of reprisal that he would be killed in the "yard" during recreation time, he gained special permission to spend his recreation time in the shower room, practicing his banjo playing. It has been reported by visitors, employees and even a park ranger that banjo music can be heard coming from the shower room and the prison walls.

The Utility Corridor. The utility corridor where prisoners Coy, Cretzer and Hubbard were shot dead during a failed escape is reported to be very active. Sounds of "clanging", screams, and eerie voices from unknown sources an be heard.

Warden Johnson, nicknamed "The Golden Rule Warden", along with visitors to the facility reported the sounds of someone sobbing from inside the prison walls though no explanation for the sounds were ever discovered.

Believed to be the most haunted area of Alacatraz is cell block D, solitary, or referred to as the "Hole". Some rangers refuse to go to that area alone. To those that do visit the area, a feeling of destitute, loneliness, sadness, disorientation and sudden intensity pervades the corridors and cells. It has been documented that as much as a 20 degree temperature change will be experienced in cell 14-D and that wearing a jacket helps very little.
Employees and visitors to the entrance of this location have reported the sounds of voices and men crying out in pain have been heard. From the doorway to the "hole" apparitions of people moving about at the bottom of the steps have been reported.

Other experiences over the years include guards smelling smoke with no fires being found, unexplained cold spots and apparitions of military personnel or prisoners.