Alcatraz & Robben Island | politicsintourism

Alcatraz Island

A Brief History

Originally used a military fortress in the civil war from 1850 - 1934, Alcatraz island was redesigned as a federal prison in 1934 and remained as such for 29 years. A total of 1,576 prisoners were housed at Alcatraz during its redesign for the jail, including infamous gangster Al Capone (History Archive, 2008). Due to the nature of the prison's establishment, the 10 deaths that occurred were as a result of prisoners escaping. 14 attempts of escape were made during the 29 years of being a Prison, with no successfull escapes recorded (History Archive, 2008). The Prison closed in 1963 as the maintenance costs were not economically beneficial. The island was then chosen as a National Tourist Attraction when it became a Golden Gate National Recreation Area in the 1970s, and now receives over 4000 visitors a day (National Park Service, 2015; NCPA, 2010).

Opened: 1934

Closed: 1963

Numbers of Prisoners Housed: 1576

Number of Prisoners physically Punished: -

Number of Prisoners Died in the Prison: 10

Before and Now Photos:

Robben Island

A Brief History

Imprisonment at Robben Island can be traced back to the 15th Century however, the 18th Century saw the beginning of imprisonment upon the island. From 1961, prisoners related to political cimes were imprisoned at the island. Mostly recognised for imprisoning the famous politician and ex-president of South Africa, Nelson Mandela, the prison closed in 1996 and became a museum that symbolises freedom and democracy (UNESCO, 2015).

Opened: 1728

Closed: 1991

Numbers of Prisoners Housed: unknown

Number of Prisoners physically Punished: unknown

Number of Prisoners Died in the Prison: unknown

Before and Now Photos: