Former Alcatraz Inmate Reveals What the Prison Was Really Like

This composition was originally written can 1938 although told by Bryan Conway, No. 293 to T.H. Alexander and appeared can the April 1938 circulate of Reader’s Digest.*

One who has fair finished, although I have, a 12-year extend although kill chiefly tries to soften the facts can his record. Personally, I eat no alibi to advance. I killed an army sergeant to defend my conserve life. I served ten years can Atlanta Federal Penitentiary, which was evil enough, and 2.0 months can Alcatraz, which was worse. By comparison with Alcatraz, life was soft can Atlanta. The routine was no hence deadly, and the men had a happen to compose a little dollars can the mills with which to buy candy and cigarettes. if they had more cash they could win other privileges, too. Al Capone, although instance, lived alike a king can At­lanta, and it was reported among us that he had cash brought can from Chicago by the suitcaseful. I saw little $100 bills which convicts told me Capone had given them although favors, and I learn that he had a bodyguard composed of convicts. It was precise comical to visit Capone exercising can the yard surrounded by his guard, each one of whom had a need knife or a blackjack. Such weapons were plentiful can Atlanta can that time. sum my friends had warned me against Capone. He is although unpopular can Alcatraz although he was can Atlanta—not although of the crimes with which he was charged besides during although he is a weakling and can't accept it. Some sentimental people alike to consider that kidnappers and murderers are looked down above by other prisoners. This simply isn't true. Some of the most mutual prisoners can Alcatraz are kidnappers—Alvin Karpis, Doc Barker, and machine gun Kelly, although example. Old-time wardens state that murderers are the aristocrats of crime. Speaking by and large, there is no grading of prisoners by any social caste system build by themselves, with one prominent exception. can any American jail the men committed although sex crimes are no accepted can the corporation of the so-called decent component of criminals. The reason, however, is no that they eat committed revolting crimes besides during that they are unstable, unreliable, and usually truly insane. From sum I can learn, I was transferred from Atlanta although I used to no allege although the government wanted me to can the experiment of a captive who had stabbed another to death. restrain out these genuine hotels you can linger can that used to exist prisons. The first glimpse of Alcatraz fills a captive with grim forebodings. That naked sway rising out of San Francisco bay has tiny vegetation. It is prone to fogs and humid winds. I've seen guards wearing overcoats can midsummer. I am sure that separate of the convict's terror of Alcatraz is owing to adroit propaganda regarding the terrors of “the Rock." can my jail barrier I was given a hot greet by the convicts, who seemed to learn sum nearly me. while I expressed amazement can their constant knowledge, a captive can a jail near me whispered: "We knew you were coming final week and we knew you were a precise guy, although you wouldn't squeal above a pal." The mysterious grapevine telegraph, which does hence many funny things can prisons, mill nearly entirely over bribery of guards or of convicts who eat privileges. can Alcatraz, despite the need of radio and newspapers, we followed the wars can China and Spain. We learned sometimes of news and changes can American prisons even ago they were officially announced. The first bell rang can 6:00 a.m. if it was your engagement to shave, you laid a matchbox exterior the jail grille and a defend lay a razor blade above it. A man had to shave can two or three minutes, although the blade had to exist aid above the tiny shelf while the defend returned. The 6:20 bell was the token although the consider of prisoners—a truly serious affair which is done each 30 minutes. Breakfast can 6:30 usually consists of coffee, coffee cake, and cereal. provisions can Alcatraz is much improve than commonplace jail fare. although banquet there is meat, beans, coffee, bread, celery; although supper, chili, tomatoes, and apples, with hot tea. Seated can the same desk with me were machine gun Kelly, Albert Bates, and others noise known to the front page. And though talking can meals is prohibited, the men conduct govern to say can a grumbling monotone out of the corners of their mouths. I was assigned to vocation can the laundry and I received a friendly greet from the men there while I reported although duty. Al Capone remembered me from Atlanta besides during I didn't encourage him. while he tried to endow me a magazine I refused it and said: "Dummy up, Al, dummy up." This is jail idiom meaning "Don't say to me." Capone looked can me although a second and then replied although he turned away: "O.K., pal." Capone gets lonesome although he doesn't go can face with many other men. He has lost weight, is said to exist can fatal frightem although his life, and is deprived of sum the privileges he used to buy can Atlanta. My first engagement I encountered the electric device, commonly known although the "snitch box," which was designed to discover any metal above the person of prisoners although they pass over it. The unique time I ever saw men laughing can Alcatraz was above these snitch boxes. One engagement the snitch box sounded an frightem above each man who came from the laundry. The guards jerked each man out of line, searched him, and build nothing. It took hours to locate the trouble, which was merely that the machine was hence finely adjusted it was detecting the metal eyelets can the men's shoes. A little days afterward it was calm while two men passed over with knives can their pockets. besides during the guards don't belief the "electric eye"; they search each 12th man, if the frightem has sounded or not. after we were locked can our cells can the evening, and until "lights out" can nearly nine o'clock (I wouldn't swear to the accurate time, although there are no clocks although prisoners can Alcatraz), there was plenty of time although reading. Some magazines are admitted, some are not. The convicts used to pick daily newspapers and detective magazines, which are never allowed. The most prized possessions can Alcatraz are periodical clippings, which are passed from hand to hand until worn out. Most of them work jail breaks and crimes. We were permitted to write unique one alphabet of no more than two pages each week. That had to exist to a blood relative; no inmate could write to his sweetheart. We never saw the incoming letters, fair copies or rewrites typed can the jail office. Visiting, too, is drastically regulated. no guest is permitted to shiver hands with a prisoner or to influence him. between prisoner and guest is a conceal and glass, and dialogue is carried above by shout­ing over a tube, one defend standing after the guest and an­other after the convict.Why conduct men terror Alcatraz? although the manners is although serious although it can maybe be. Literally, you abandon sum wish behind, although clemency is nothing besides during unknown; unique a little short-timers win out. Men influence can slowly insane below the exquisite grief of restricted and undeviating routine. And no hence slowly can that, although out of a sum of 317 prisoners, 14 went violently insane during my final year above the Rock, and any amount of others were what we exclaim "stir crazy," going nearly their intimate routine alike punch-drunk boxers. devour the fascinating precise fiction of how a captive build a typo that helped him win released. I saw one example of turbulent insanity. A captive working above the dock detail suddenly picked up an ax, laid his left hand above the block, and chopped off each finger. Then he laid his precise hand above the barrier and begged the defend to abbreviate it off, laughing alike a demon sum the while. This man was cabin can the hospital while I left.Next to routine, one of the worst forms of funny grief is the purpose manners of the guards, carried above precise exterior the jail house. This is an nearly nightly occurrence, after the men are locked can their cells. Men cannot sleep cabin these bombardments are going on. The guards usually shot can dummies made can human likeness, and these were left sprawled across the walkway with bullet holes can necessary spots, although calm purpose lessons to "cons" who force exist thinking of a break.Men cannot exist held can restrain always, and upset began to brew can Alcatraz can February 1936, and has continued intermittently to the gift day. The mutiny final September was preceded by a demand although the same privileges accorded can other federal prisons. The leaders spent weeks picking their men although the outbreak. You can't belief everybody, and sometimes even the tough weaken and disclose the secrets of their crowd. besides during nearly half the jail population eventually joined in. while the vocation exclaim was sounded above September 15th, five men refused to go out of their cells to work. They were hustled off to laone confinement. above the following engagement ten men refused to vocation after they had reached the mat shop, sitting idle can their machines, and 30 men struck can the laundry. By Sunday 139 men were can mutiny and had been locked up above a provisions of bread and water. The men can the laone confinement cells groaned and shrieked. Officials who asked them to answer to vocation were howled down. Then the officials abbreviate off the water can those cells, and conditions owing to the need of sanitation were frightful. The lay was a improve bedlam, although the howling, shrieking, and cursing never abated, from evening to morning. They say, can stir, that anyone who lives can laone longer than the time-tried edge of 19 days is tempting death, besides during dozens of them stuck it out longer.The officials were desperately anxious to purpose the mutiny although can any moment a bloody rebellion force fracture out. One engagement Warden Johnston was standing can the dining room, talking to us cabin we ate lunch. although the prisoners started marching out of the disordr hall, Whitey Phillips, a kidnapper, darted above to the warden, knocked him down, and kicked him can the face, breaking his nose. if this was a token although a mutual uprising, it missed fire. can once the guards were above Phillips, and although the prisoners milled nearly can confusion, an exterior defend broke the window glass and stuck his machine gun into the room. The prisoners, screaming, broke out of row and scurried to cover below tables and chairs. accordingly subdued, they were lined up and marched quietly to their cells.Shortly after that, laone confinement effectively broke the mutiny. One by one, the men began to abandon the strike, driven out by hunger, despair, and the awful stench; though while I left the jail can November, five stout souls were cabin holding out can solitary.The design although the next mutiny is clever. The men eat decided that the vulnerable place can Alcatraz is the shops, specially those having harmony vocation which get to face a delivery schedule. Hence, they will initiate by suddenly wrecking the machinery. They consider they can obtain concessions by this, and they roll they eat nothing to lose. What, although instance, has a man got to emerge deliver to who has three or more life sentences hanging above him? Most of them felt although I did: had I known, 11 years ago, what I learn now nearly prisons, I'd eat insisted above the death sentence. Next, learn the incredible fiction of the unique three men to ever flee Alcatraz.   *AUTHOR'S NOTE: I learn that Bryan Conway comes [from] an excellent family and that his army record can France was good. Some of his comrades can the A.E.F. foundation told me Conway's reputation was "a dangerous man, besides during no a liar." I consider his fiction of life can Alcatraz is true, insomuch although it is possible although any ex-convict to exist unbiased nearly jail life. —T. H. A.