Jailhouse

A short history of Alcatraz greets you as you disembark, and once in, you can either choose the company of a headphone guide or meander on your own through the building. I chose the latter option. And as it turned out, you don8217;t need an escort to understand the underlying principle of Alcatraz, it8217;s spelt out on a board: 8216;You are entitled to food, clothing, shelter and medical attention. Anything else you get is a privilege.8217;

The cells are narrow 5 ft x 9 ft rectangular spaces cramped with a cot, basin, commode and shelves. A concrete wall separates each cavity from the next and once enforced one of the earliest prison rules8212;no conversations among inmates, except during meals and recreation. Apparently, some prisoners emptied the water from the toilets to use its pipes as a primitive tool of communication with neighbours.

A couple of cells are now left open so tourists can take pictures inside. By now you are used to the irony of the experience. Then there are the so-called occupied cells. It takes a second to realise that the heads on the pillows are the same dummies painstakingly created by Frank Morris and the Anglin brothers, John and Clarence, who scripted Alcatraz8217;s most famous escape story. All three successfully swam off Alcatraz, but are believed to have drowned before reaching Frisco.

In all, 36 out of the 1,576 ever incarcerated at the federal prison made escape attempts8212;14 were killed or drowned, the rest were recaptured before they could get off the island. Alcatraz8217;s reputation as a no-escape, maximum-security prison has been chinked, but never destroyed.

Then you pass the celebrity cells of Al Scarface Capone and Robert Stroud, the infamous Birdman of Alcatraz, who incidentally never kept any birds on the island.

The cells in the next set, the D block, are more spacious but those were much less popular for solitary confinement. Further down is a large open area with a walled enclosure8212;the erstwhile dining hall and kitchen. Black and white pictures on the hall pillars provide a glimpse of what was probably the most awaited time of day on The Rock8212;Alcatraz was famous for serving the best food in the US prison system.

An open yard at the far end, where prisoners were allowed to play under surveillance, completes the tour and takes you back to the entrance. Small windows in the entryway were the prisoners8217; only source of contact with the outside world. Family and friends were allowed to visit the occupants once a month8212; after every name submitted was counterchecked by the FBI. They were not allowed physical contact or any discussion on current affairs and the intercom conversations were always closely monitored. Bad behaviour was punished with loss of visitation rights.

That the island now has one million visitors every year is almost poetic justice. The enigmatic isolation of The Rock has been romantically chronicled over the years, but it8217;s an isolation that8217;s just a 15-minute ferry ride away from one of the world8217;s most happening cities.

And once you8217;re back on the pier, grab the 25 black and white striped T-shirt that reads 8216;Been there, done that8217;.