ALCATRAZ FEDERAL PENITENTIARYAlcatraz was a maximum security penitentiary located on Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay, California. It operated from 1934 to 1963 and during its 29 years of operation it earned a well-known reputation in society. It was believed to be an escape-proof penitentiary. “The Rock” was a popular name for Alcatraz, and its mention caused fear among prisoners. They were aware of Alcatraz's severely enforced isolation system. Alcatraz was supposed to tame the toughest and most notorious criminals that other penitentiaries could not control, such as USP Atlanta and USP Leavenworth. Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” Kelly, and Robert “Birdman” Stroud were some of the most notorious criminals held within the walls of “The Rock.” Additionally, Alcatraz Island is located 1.5 miles offshore. This distance provided Alcatraz Penitentiary with an essential advantage. It was the most challenging obstacle for any prisoner trying to escape. Alcatraz's regulations also proved to be quite effective, but not flawless. “…they often came under the scrutiny of a metal detector…but the device was unstable, beeping loudly as unarmed men walked by but allowing the occasional knife to go unnoticed.” (Bergreen 541). There are sophisticated regulations and improvements that can be implemented in a penitentiary. However, I firmly believe that no penitentiary will ever be escape-proof. Some of the regulations and conditions inside Alcatraz are mentioned by Bosworth. Prisoners didn't have to share cells, so everyone had their own. The staff ratio was high compared to the inmate ratio. The movement of prisoners from one place to another was highly restricted and monitored. Six cells conformed Unit D or Trea... middle of paper... to the American government that there will never be an escape-proof prison. The uncertainty that the prisoners left behind corrupted the imposing vision of Alcatraz penitentiary. I think no penitentiary can ever be 100% flawless because there will always be a failure in the system that the inmates will notice. Ultimately, criminals will take advantage of these flaws in one way or another. Works Cited Bergreen, Laurence. Capone: The Man and the Era. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1994. Print.Bosworth, Mary. Encyclopedia of prisons and penitentiary facilities. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage Publications, 2005. Print.National Geographic Alcatraz Breakout New Evidence NAT GEO. May 28, 2013. < http://youtu.be/IsWsI7TnHtk >.You Tube. Network. April 8, 2014. Roth, Mitchell P. Prisons and Prison Systems: A Global Encyclopedia. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2006. Print.