Recreation Yard (Alcatraz)

Last updated June 15, 2023

The Recreation Yard was the yard used by inmates of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary between 1934 and 1963. It is located adjacent to the Dining Hall northwest of the end of D-Block on a raised level surrounded by a high wall and fence above it.^[1]^[2] Guard Tower #3 lay just to the west of the yard.^[3] The gun gallery was situated in the yard, mounted on one of the dining hall's exterior walls.^[4] The recreation yard faced the mainland.^[5]

History

In 1936, the previously dirt-covered yard was paved.^[6] The yard was part of the most violent escape attempt from Alcatraz in May 1946 when a group of inmates hatched a plot to obtain the key into the recreation yard, kill the tower guards, take hostages, and use them as shields to reach the dock.^[7] During the Occupation of Alcatraz in 1970, between 400 and 700 Native Indians assembled in the recreation yard and demonstrated.^[2]

Terms

Inmates were permitted out into the yard on Saturdays, Sundays and on holidays for a maximum of 5 hours.^[8]^[9] Inmates who worked seven days a week in the kitchen were rewarded with short yard breaks during the weekdays.^[9] Badly behaved prisoners were liable to having their yard access rights taken away from them on weekends.^[9]

Social interaction

The prisoners of Alcatraz were permitted to play games such as baseball, softball and other sports at these times, and intellectual games such as chess.^[8] Basketball also appears to have been played on the yard judging by the markings which are still visible on the yard today. Baseball and softball were the most popular. Because of the small size of the yard and the diamond at the end of it, a section of the wall behind the first base had to be padded to cushion the impact of inmates overrunning it.^[10]

Inmates were provided gloves, bats, and balls, but no sport uniforms. In 1938, there were four amateur teams, the Bees, Oaks, Oilers, and Seals, named after Minor League clubs, and four league teams named after Major League clubs, the Cardinals, Cubs, Giants, and Tigers.^[11]

Bank robber and kidnapper Volney Davis was a pitching ace for the Oilers, while Lorenzo Murrietta, doing 40 years for assault and robbery, was the best batter in Alcatraz league play. He had a .402 batting average, with 9 home runs and 45 RBIs for the Cardinals.^[11]

Although many of the inmates relished the opportunity to exercise on weekends, violence occasionally occurred, often race related. A notable riot occurred on May 20, 1956, over racial taunts on the diamond between a white and black prisoner during a softball match.^[11]

Many of the inmates used weekends in the yards to converse with each other and discuss crime, the only real opportunities they had during the week for active conversation.^[12] Machine Gun Kelly and Basil "The Owl" Banghart were said to be inseparable in the yard and would spend their whole time walking around it in conversation together.^[12] Al Capone avoided the yard in his later years in the penitentiary as his mind deteriorated.^[13] Edwin B. Swope, Warden of Alcatraz from 1948 to 1955, once said, in response to an inmate who complained to him on the yard about his term of 199 years, which was really a life sentence, "My boy, we're all doing life. Every one of us is doing life."^[12]

In popular culture

The Alcatraz recreation yard has been a setting for scenes in numerous films and novels. Scenes have featured prison inmates hatching schemes or being involved in bloody conflicts. The yard featured several times in the 1979 Clint Eastwood film Escape from Alcatraz including a violent fight; it was parodied in the 1994 Leslie Nielsen film, Naked Gun 33+1⁄3: The Final Insult .

Related Research Articles

Alcatraz Island is a small island 1.25 miles (2.01 km) offshore from San Francisco, California, United States. The island was developed in the mid-19th century with facilities for a lighthouse, a military fortification, and a military prison. In 1934, the island was converted into a federal prison, Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. The strong currents around the island and cold water temperatures made escape nearly impossible, and the prison became one of the most notorious in American history. The prison closed in 1963, and the island is now a major tourist attraction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Stroud</span> American inmate and ornithologist (1890–1963)

Robert Franklin Stroud, known as the "Birdman of Alcatraz", was a convicted murderer, American federal prisoner and author who has been cited as one of the most notorious criminals in the United States. During his time at Leavenworth Penitentiary, he reared and sold birds and became a respected ornithologist. From 1942 to 1959, he was incarcerated at Alcatraz, where regulations did not allow him to keep birds. Stroud was never released from the federal prison system; he was imprisoned from 1909 to his death in 1963.

James Aloysius Johnston was an American politician and prison warden who served as the first and longest-serving warden of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, serving from 1934 to 1948. He had earlier served as wardens of California state prisons at Folsom (1912-1913) and San Quentin (1914-1924).

Alcatraz water tower is on Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay, off the coast of San Francisco, California. It is located on the northwestern side of the island, near Tower No. 3, beyond the Morgue and Recreation Yard. The water tank is situated on six cross-braced steel legs submerged in concrete foundations.

Alcatraz Morgue is the morgue on Alcatraz Island, off the coast of San Francisco, California, United States. It is located on the northwestern side of the island towards the centre, halfway between the Alcatraz Water Tower and the Dining Hall, below the side of the Recreation Yard.

Alcatraz Dining Hall, often referred to as the Mess Hall, is the dining hall of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary where the prisoners and staff ate their meals. It is a long wing on the west end of the Main Cellhouse of Alcatraz, situated in the center of the island. It is connected to the block by a corridor known as "Times Square", as it passes beneath a large clock approaching the entrance way to the dining hall. This wing includes the dining hall and the kitchen beyond it.

The Warden's House was the home of the wardens of the federal penitentiary on Alcatraz Island, off San Francisco. It is located at the southeastern end of the Main Cellblock, next to Alcatraz Lighthouse. The 3-floor 15-room mansion was built in 1921 according to the Golden Gate National Recreational Area signpost, although some sources say it was built in 1926 or 1929 and had 17 or 18 rooms.

The Model Industries building or Industries Building is a three/four-story building on the northwest corner of Alcatraz Island off the coast of San Francisco, USA. This building was originally built by the U.S. military and was used as a laundry building until the New Industries Building was built as part of a redevelopment program on Alcatraz in 1939 when it was a federal penitentiary. As part of the Alcatraz jail, it held workshops for inmates to work in.

The New Industries Building is a building on the western end of Alcatraz Island off the coast of San Francisco, United States. It was constructed in 1939 for $186,000 as part of a $1.1 million modernization scheme which also included the water tower, power house, officers quarters and remodeling of the D-block.

Building 64, also known as the Building #64 or the Building 64 Residential Apartments, was the first building constructed on the island of Alcatraz off the coast of San Francisco, USA, entirely for the purpose of accommodating the military officers and their families living on the island. Located next to the dock on the southeastern side of the island below the Warden's House, the three-story apartment block was built in 1905 on the site of a U.S. Army barracks which had been there from the 1860s. It functioned as the Military Guard Barracks from 1906 until 1933. One of its largest apartments in the southwest corner was known as the "Cow Palace" and a nearby alleyway was known as "Chinatown".

Alcatraz Library was a library for inmates at Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. It was located at the end of D-Block. On entering Alcatraz, every inmate received a library card and a catalog of books found in the library. An inmate would order a book by putting a slip with their card in a box at the entrance to the dining hall before breakfast, and a librarian took the order to and from their cell. The library, which used a closed-stack paging system, had a collection of 10,000 to 15,000 books, mainly left over from Alcatraz's army days.

The Power House is an electrical supply building on the northwest coast of Alcatraz Island, off the coast of San Francisco, USA. It was constructed in 1939 for $186,000 as part of a $1.1 million modernization scheme which also included the water tower, New Industries Building, officers quarters and remodeling of the D-block. The white powerhouse smokestack and lighthouse were said to give an "appearance of a ship's mast on either side of the island". "A Warning. Keep Off. Only Government permitted within 200 yards" sign lay in front of the powerhouse to deter people landing on the island at the point.

The Social Hall, also known as the Officers' Club, was a social club located on the northwestern side of the island of Alcatraz, off the coast of San Francisco, USA. Located in close proximity to the Power House, water tower and Former Military Chapel, it formerly housed the post exchange. The club was a social venue for the Federal Penitentiary workers and their families on the island to unwind after a hard week's work dealing with America's most hardened criminals after they'd been locked up at 17:30. It was burned down by a fire of disputed origins during the Occupation of Alcatraz in 1970; leaving a shell which still remains.

United States Penitentiary, Alcatraz Island, also known simply as Alcatraz or The Rock, was a maximum security federal prison on Alcatraz Island, 1.25 miles (2.01 km) off the coast of San Francisco, California, United States. The site of a fort since the 1850s, the main prison building was built in 1910–12 as a U.S. Army military prison.

Alcatraz Hospital is a defunct hospital which was located on Alcatraz Island, California, US. It began operations in the 19th century while the United States Army operated Fort Alcatraz and continued to provide services after the transition to the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary. Though Alcatraz is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, the hospital is not included on the general tour.

Edwin Burnham Swope, nicknamed "Cowboy", was the second warden of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary, which was situated on Alcatraz Island, California, US. He was a native of New Mexico, having been born at Santa Fe in 1888. His earlier posts as warden included New Mexico State Prison, Washington State's McNeil Island Federal Penitentiary, and the Federal Penitentiary at Terre Haute, Indiana.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rufe Persful</span> American criminal

Rufe Persful was an American criminal, convicted of murder, kidnapping and robbery. He was considered one of the most dangerous criminals of his era by the authorities.

Alcatraz Wharf is located on the southeast side of Alcatraz Island, in San Francisco Bay, California, US. Classified as building number 33 of the Alcatraz Island National Historic Landmark, its historic name variants were "Alcatraz Dock" and "Alcatraz Pier". It is the main access point to Alcatraz. Another dock on the island's northwest side was only used for rock loading. The wharf contained many of the islands historic buildings, including Building 64, the Bombproof Barracks, Chinatown, Ranger Office, Garage, Dock Tower, Storage Vault, and Firebox #3.

References

↑ Historic Preservation. 1995. p. 91. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
1 2 Fortunate Eagle, Adam; Golden Gate National Park Association (1992). Alcatraz! Alcatraz!: the Indian occupation of 1969-1971. Heyday Books. p. 84. ISBN 978-0-930588-51-9 . Retrieved 31 August 2012.
↑ Dunbar, Richard (1 January 1999). Alcatraz . Casa Editrice Bonechi. p. 71. ISBN 978-88-8029-940-0 . Retrieved 31 August 2012.
↑ Champion Jr., Jerry Lewis (26 April 2012). Alcatraz Unchained. AuthorHouse. pp. 140–. ISBN 978-1-4685-8753-1 . Retrieved 2 September 2012.
↑ Moseley, Andy (September 2009). Around the States in 90 Days. andy moseley. pp. 268–. ISBN 978-0-9561551-0-8 . Retrieved 2 September 2012.
↑ Ward, David A.; Kassebaum, Gene G. (19 May 2009). Alcatraz: The Gangster Years. University of California Press. pp. 47–. ISBN 978-0-520-25607-1 . Retrieved 2 September 2012.
↑ Watson, Stephanie (1 January 2012). The Escape from Alcatraz. ABDO. p. 47. ISBN 978-1-61783-303-8 . Retrieved 31 August 2012.
1 2 Wellman, Gregory L. (28 May 2008). A History of Alcatraz Island:: 1853-2008. Arcadia Publishing. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-7385-5815-8 . Retrieved 31 August 2012.
1 2 3 Albright, Jim (30 March 2008). Last Guard Out: A Riveting Account by the Last Guard to Leave Alcatraz. AuthorHouse. p. 151. ISBN 978-1-4343-5077-0 . Retrieved 31 August 2012.
↑ Seymour, Harold (30 May 1991). Baseball: The People's Game. Oxford University Press. p. 431. ISBN 978-0-19-506907-5 . Retrieved 31 August 2012.
1 2 3 "For it's one, two, three strikes, you're (not) out, at the old ball game.'". National Park Service. Retrieved 31 August 2012.
1 2 3 Champion Jr, Jerry Lewis (27 January 2011). The Fading Voices of Alcatraz. AuthorHouse. p. 119. ISBN 978-1-4567-1488-8 . Retrieved 31 August 2012.
↑ Sloate, Susan (1 April 2008). Mysteries Unwrapped: The Secrets of Alcatraz . Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. p. 83. ISBN 978-1-4027-3591-2 . Retrieved 31 August 2012.

External links

Media related to Alcatraz Recreation Yard at Wikimedia Commons

NPS−Golden Gate National Recreation Area: Alcatraz Recreation Yard

37°49′37″N122°25′25″W / 37.82694°N 122.42361°W / 37.82694; -122.42361

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.

[Historic_Preservation-1] Historic Preservation. 1995. p. 91. Retrieved 31 August 2012.

[EagleAssociation1992-2] 1 2 Fortunate Eagle, Adam; Golden Gate National Park Association (1992). Alcatraz! Alcatraz!: the Indian occupation of 1969-1971. Heyday Books. p. 84. ISBN 978-0-930588-51-9 . Retrieved 31 August 2012.

[Dunbar1999-3] Dunbar, Richard (1 January 1999). Alcatraz . Casa Editrice Bonechi. p. 71. ISBN 978-88-8029-940-0 . Retrieved 31 August 2012.

[Champion2012-4] Champion Jr., Jerry Lewis (26 April 2012). Alcatraz Unchained. AuthorHouse. pp. 140–. ISBN 978-1-4685-8753-1 . Retrieved 2 September 2012.

[Moseley2009-5] Moseley, Andy (September 2009). Around the States in 90 Days. andy moseley. pp. 268–. ISBN 978-0-9561551-0-8 . Retrieved 2 September 2012.

[WardKassebaum2009-6] Ward, David A.; Kassebaum, Gene G. (19 May 2009). Alcatraz: The Gangster Years. University of California Press. pp. 47–. ISBN 978-0-520-25607-1 . Retrieved 2 September 2012.

[Watson2012-7] Watson, Stephanie (1 January 2012). The Escape from Alcatraz. ABDO. p. 47. ISBN 978-1-61783-303-8 . Retrieved 31 August 2012.

[Wellman2008-8] 1 2 Wellman, Gregory L. (28 May 2008). A History of Alcatraz Island:: 1853-2008. Arcadia Publishing. p. 51. ISBN 978-0-7385-5815-8 . Retrieved 31 August 2012.

[Albright2008-9] 1 2 3 Albright, Jim (30 March 2008). Last Guard Out: A Riveting Account by the Last Guard to Leave Alcatraz. AuthorHouse. p. 151. ISBN 978-1-4343-5077-0 . Retrieved 31 August 2012.

[Seymour1991-10] Seymour, Harold (30 May 1991). Baseball: The People's Game. Oxford University Press. p. 431. ISBN 978-0-19-506907-5 . Retrieved 31 August 2012.

[NPS-11] 1 2 3 "For it's one, two, three strikes, you're (not) out, at the old ball game.'". National Park Service. Retrieved 31 August 2012.

[Jr2011-12] 1 2 3 Champion Jr, Jerry Lewis (27 January 2011). The Fading Voices of Alcatraz. AuthorHouse. p. 119. ISBN 978-1-4567-1488-8 . Retrieved 31 August 2012.

[Sloate2008-13] Sloate, Susan (1 April 2008). Mysteries Unwrapped: The Secrets of Alcatraz . Sterling Publishing Company, Inc. p. 83. ISBN 978-1-4027-3591-2 . Retrieved 31 August 2012.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]