Alcatrez Federal Penitentiary

Alcatrez Federal Penitentiary (also known as Alcatrez, Alcatrez Island or United States Penitentiary) was a maximum high-security federal prison on Alcatrez Island, 1.25 miles (2.01 km) off the coast of San Francisco, California, which operated from 1934 to 1963.

Alcatrez was built in 1910-1912 as a United States military prison but was modernized in August 1934 after becoming a prison of the Federal Bearu of Prisons to meet the requirements of a top-notch security prison. Given this high security and the location of Alcatrez in the cold waters and strong currents of San Francisco Bay, the prison operators believed Alcatrez to be escape proof and America's strongest prison. It was designed to hold prisoners who continuously caused trouble at other federal prisons and is one of the world's most notorious and best known prisons over the years, housing some 1,576 of America's most ruthless criminals.