- Alcatraz is a small island located in San Francisco Bay, about 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) offshore from the city of San Francisco, California, United States.
- It is a barren island with steep, rocky cliffs surrounding it on all sides.
- The island was used as a federal prison from 1934 until 1963.
- It was chosen as the site of a prison due to its remote location, strong currents, and cold waters, which made escape attempts extremely difficult.
- Alcatraz had a reputation as a maximum security prison and housed some of the most notorious criminals in American history, including Al Capone, Robert Stroud (the "Birdman of Alcatraz"), and George "Machine Gun" Kelly.
- The prison was designed to be escape-proof, with reinforced concrete walls, steel bars, and armed guards patrolling the perimeter.
- Despite this, there were several escape attempts during the prison's operation, but none were successful.
- Alcatraz was closed as a federal prison in 1963 due to several factors, including high maintenance costs, deteriorating facilities, and the increasing public scrutiny of prison conditions.
- After its closure, the island was turned over to the National Park Service and is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
- Today, Alcatraz is open to the public as a tourist destination and offers ferry tours and guided tours of the former prison.
