The In (The Inn?)

Yes, the interior of the rock.  Being my first trip to a prison, I have little to compare it to.

 

The cells look rather small and unpleasant.  On the suggestion of everyone we talked to we got the audio tour.  Awesome idea.  Without it the whole thing is rather pointless.  You would have no context for what you are looking at. Well, except for some really filthy old toilets.

For how big it was, it seemed to have very few actual cells.  The place basically takes up a whole island, and has only one prison building.  It was only three stories of cells and 3 aisles.

 

Totally creepy from inside the cells.  If you wanted you could have a park ranger shut you in, we did not want.  The ranger also slammed the door rather abruptly, scaring the crap out of anyone around.

The place was intimidating everywhere you went.  Especially when the audio tape would mention you were standing where a guy died from a hand-grenade blast.  Ca - ree - py.

They were close enough to shore to hear New Year's celebrations through this window.  I cannot imagine how sad and frustrating that must have been.  Glad I'm not a criminal.

 

Brought to you by the letter "C" and the number "1".  I like how the park service put a sign saying "C Block" above a sign on the prison block that says C.  Redundant?  You be the judge.

All the communication with visitors, through this little hole.  I hope it wasn't cracked at the time.  Seriously, prison seems really lame.

A narrow view of the yard, covers a quarter of it.  Not much room to play.  It was basically some steps and an undersized lawn.  The rest was a concrete pad.  The whole thing was surrounded by twentyish foot concrete walls.

 

This is pretty much the whole lawn.  Almost enough to play baseball on.  Which is apparently what they did there.  Go figure.

 

A look back at the prison.  Most of what you see here is the kitchen. Further back is the cell part of Alcatraz.  Katherine volunteered to provide scale.

The only other way out of the yard was a thick steel door.  I doubt the prisoners ever got that chance.  I wonder if they new about the great view of the Golden Gate just outside?  Hope they didn't, 'cause that would be kinda cruel.  Well, that's the in, tomorrow the out! Enjoy, jon