Faces pressed up against the window, my friend Katherine and I eagerly pointed out any San Francisco landmarks we could make out in the foggy skyline. On each of my trips to SF, I have found myself taking a ferry to Alcatraz Island. It is such a beautiful place with such a rich history, but there were a couple of things about my most recent visit that were a little different. To start us off, Katherine and I did not realize we were visiting my brother Adam in the city during “Fogust”. What is already a notoriously foggy city developed an even thicker cloud around it, lasting until the early afternoon each day. Once we stepped off this ferry to Alcatraz, however, we learned our visit also landed squarely in their “fly season”.
From the moment we could breathe in the fresh island air, we were greeted by swarms of cormorant flies landing all over us. It was quickly explained to us by a staff member that they were harmless and fed the pelican population that Alcatraz is named for. As a person terrified of most bugs, it took a pep talk from Katherine, but I calmed down and readied myself to explore.
It shouldn’t be any surprise that on Alcatraz, you have not escaped from the hilliness of San Francisco by any means. A staff member told us on the ferry back that our short walk from the dock to the cellhouse was the equivalent of about 13 flights of stairs. On this trek, we passed through the guardhouse, the oldest remaining building on the island. This dates back to its military origins and was the first prison built here. We learned that the soldiers who were prisoners here were forced to stay down a ladder in a bare stone room below. Despite the development of the prison’s tactics, these conditions lasted for quite some time.
Through the cellhouse, we learned of the many famous prisoners who did some time there, including Al Capone and George “Machine Gun” Kelly. We saw their cells and heard all about the bad behavior that led them there. This is when things started to take a more serious and honest turn. We then learned that many other inmates kept here, at a prison for the “worst of the worst”, were here based off of their mental health issues or for defying racial segregation. The most frustrating thing was realizing that the reason the penitentiary shut down at all was simply due to expenses and nothing to do with the treatment of the men there.
While walking through the prison, there were few solid connections relating it to today. At the end, however, there was a new exhibit called The Big Lockup: Mass Incarceration in the U.S. that had been added since my last visit. This is a reminder that, although Alcatraz no longer functions as a prison, it has still played a major role in what the prison system still is today. The exhibit was a very educational experience that added so much depth to all we had seen that day. It presented us with statistics that spoke for themselves, illustrating real issues in the U.S. prison system today.
On the ferry ride back to the city, we could not stop talking about the new exhibit. Adam and I discussed how it led us to reflect on our previous visits in a new way. We all came to agreement that it added a meaningful new layer to the experience as a whole. Even though Alcatraz is no longer an operating penitentiary, the history held in its walls can still contribute to a larger conversation about the justice system today.
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