Jails

Initially, I intended to write about Alcatraz in my Bay Area series: In My Own Backyard. But I thought, “I can’t talk about Alcatraz and not mention Eastern State Penitentiary.” They’re like first cousins. Alcatraz, in San Francisco, and Eastern State Penitentiary (ESP), in Philadelphia, are two of America’s most historic and storied former prisons. They have a lot in common. Both prisons experienced elaborately planned escapes. Both prisons locked up Al Capone. (I guess he got around.) And both prisons are the only two jails I have ever visited. And hopefully, the only two I ever will visit. 

Alcatraz sits on an island, “the rock,” in the middle of the bay. It’s situated between the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge, facing the San Francisco skyline. While the view is stunning for tourists, I wonder if that same view may have felt like an added punishment for the inmates.  

The prison dates back to the Civil War. It was initially a fort and a military jail incarcerating convicted soldiers, deserters, and even Confederates. Later, it was used to lock up Hopi, Apache, and Medoc Indians captured during the Indian Wars. But by the 1930s, the government decided the island’s isolation would be a perfect place to incarcerate high-profile and maximum security inmates, like Machine-Gun Kelly and, of course, “Scarface” Al Capone.

Following a short ferry ride, visitors are given a brief introduction and orientation by a park ranger. From there, you’re directed to enter through the shower block, where you’ll pick up a headset and audio tour in any language of preference. This entrance feels appropriate because I imagine this would have been how former inmates would have initially entered. First stop… a shower and a change of clothes. In fact, you’ll see the jumpsuits neatly stacked behind a cage. From here, you’ll continue at your own pace with the audio tour, narrated in part by former inmates who describe their experiences living on the rock. You’ll proceed through the cell blocks, the dining hall, the hospital, the library, the guard station, the visitation area, and out into the exercise yard.

The tour continues outside, where you’ll see exterior buildings, including the warden’s house, which burned down in 1970 during a Native American occupation/protest. 

Incidentally, it wasn’t just the warden’s family who lived on the island. The guards and their families also lived on-site in employee housing. The children of Alcatraz had a playground, a garden, and a commute (by ferry) to school. What a unique childhood that must have been. And what an intriguing place Alcatraz is. Go if you can. It is fascinating for all ages. 

Equally fascinating is Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia. It looks like a castle from the outside. From the inside, it looks like a ruin. This place is falling apart. It is in an active state of decay, so I recommend you go sooner rather than later.

What I found particularly interesting about this jail was that it predates modern prison design and philosophy. As you walk through (also with a self-guided audio tour), you’ll see the evolution of the practice and theory of incarceration. When Eastern State Penitentiary (ESP) first opened in 1829, the cell blocks looked very different from when ESP closed in 1971. The cells were originally designed for one person and no interaction between inmates. Each cell had three solid walls and a small attached yard. Prisoners were allowed to keep a pet and encouraged to exercise and garden in their yards. But the yards had high walls, and the prisoners’ outdoor sessions were staggered so that they wouldn’t communicate. Prisoners were basically held in solitary confinement because it was believed that solitude would lead to reflection, resulting in repentance. The prison’s initial design reflected a belief in rehabilitation as opposed to our more modern emphasis on punishment. However, I don’t think people understood the toll solitary confinement takes on individuals, and this practice was later abandoned. Not in small part because the prison also quickly became overcrowded. 

The trend towards mass incarceration in America led to the design of these more familiar-looking cell blocks.   

And this type of solitary confinement. 

 Eastern State Penitentiary is a thought provoking institution. And visiting it may lead you to engage in a bit of reflection yourself. 

But please go soon, the place is turning to rubble.   

Is this even safe? I think they should pass out hard hats along with the audio tour.

Beautiful (inmate painted) murals line the walls of the prison chapel.

Apparently, ESP hosts an annual Halloween Haunted House. Can you imagine? That’s definitely not safe.