Alphonse Gabriel Capone, also called “Scarface,” is one of the most notable American gangsters in history. After years of gang activity, he was imprisoned; however, he was accused of receiving special treatment. It was then suggested he move to Alcatraz, where he served seven and a half years.
While serving time at “The Rock,” Capone was injured by another inmate with scissors from the prison barbershop. He was injured but survived and finished serving his sentence in 1939. It was reported that Capone paid all of his duties back to society, paid his fines and taxes back, and in 1947, he passed away outside of the prison walls.
Inside Alcatraz: historic photos of America's most notorious prison
The Yard
This is a shot of the Alcatraz recreation yard. Prisoners could use the yard to play sports like handball and baseball or to enjoy the fresh air in the few hours they were allowed to use it. The prisoners in Alcatraz had a very harsh daily routine, consisting of counts that would reach 13 times daily.
With such a limiting day-to-day, the time spent in this yard was precious, and the prisoners wouldn't risk their relatively free time for the world. The fresh salty air of the sea was felt while in the yard so that the inmates could smell freedom; however, to most, that was as close as they could get.
The Cellblock
This next image shows what the cellblocks looked like from the outside. Now, although the photo is black and white, it didnt look any better even when in color. The cells were smaller than average, and the inmates didnt get more than a hard bed to sleep on.
The cell didnt consist of anything much more than that, and the day-to-day was pretty much basic. These blocks consisted of 336 cells, and on average, 260 of them were filled. In addition to these cells, around 40 other cells were called "solitary confinement." Over the years, there were 1557 prisoners who spent their days in cells looking like this.
The Snitch Box
A picture was taken in 1956 of a guard operating one of the prison’s “snitch boxes,” as named by the prisoners. The boxes were both static and portable and were used to detect metals such as weapons and contraband. As it is in all prisons, and not only in Alcatraz, metal of any sort was prohibited.
A simple object like a fork or even a spoon could immediately become a harsh weapon or a digging device for making the way to freedom. Spoons were used to carve through the sand that was behind the tiled walls and forks; well, there is no need to explain how a fork can easily turn into a severe injury weapon.
The Inmate Band
So, not everything was terribly bad in Alcatraz. Although many inmates were locked up behind the prison's walls for life, they were still given the option to have a phone conversation every now and then. This photo was taken sometime in the 1950s, and it shows a prisoner during a phone conversation.
The prison guard is standing right behind him, not giving the prisoner any chance for privacy. Unlike today, where phone conversations can be monitored and listened to, even from afar, this was the only way the prison could ensure nothing (yet again(illegal was going on).