Have you ever heard of Alcatraz Island, also known as “The Rock”? This is a famous rocky island off the western coast of the United States that was once the home of some of the worst criminals in this country. Now this island is a national historic landmark that is taken care of and operated by the National Parks Service. Today, you can go visit this island and the prison there as a tourist! This small 22 acre (9 hectare) island is less than two miles off the coast of San Francisco, but the dangerous (shark infested*) waters between the island and the shore made it a great place for the site of a prison many years ago. Alcatraz Island was a federal prison for 30 years, from 1933 to 1963. It was one year before this prison closed that the only successful prisoner escape took place and two days ago, on June 11th, it was the 60th anniversary of this famous escape.
On June 11, 1962, on Alcatraz Island, three men carried out one of the most daring** and intricate*** prison escapes ever made. Over time these three prisoners slowly chiseled**** away the walls of their prison cells with metal spoons and an electric drill improvised***** from a stolen vacuum cleaner motor. The noise the men made as they worked was overpowered by instruments played during a daily music hour and the progress they made in cutting through the wall was concealed in their dark prison cells. The three men also made a raft out of stolen raincoats, to take them across the water to the shore of San Francisco. The men made pretend human heads, which even had human hair from the prison barbershop glued on them, so they looked like they were sleeping in their beds while they escaped during the night. The three men who escaped, Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin, were never found. No bodies were found, though their raft was found on a near by island. Some people think the men drowned in the cold water others think they made it to shore. We may never known the truth, but the police are still investigating this case, and they say the case will stay open on all three escapees until each of their 100th birthdays!
Here is a vocabulary expander for you. There is more than one word in English for the place where people go when they are accused of committing a crime. Here are four words for a building that holds criminals: jail, prison, penitentiary, lock up. Alcatraz Island is considered a prison or penitentiary because it was a place where long-term criminals went to serve their time. A jail is a place for people to go who are accused of crimes or awaiting trial, but they generally only stay in jail for a short period of time. Lastly, lock up is a slang or casual word for prison, penitentiary, or jail.
*infested = to be present in large number
**daring = adventurous and bold
***intricate = very complicated or detailed
****chiseled = to cut away
*****improvised = made from whatever is available
