On This Day, March 21, 1963, the infamous Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary in San Francisco Bay was officially closed after nearly 30 years of operation as a maximum-security prison. It permanently shut its doors and ushered out its last group of inmates, marking the end of an era.
Alcatraz had been designed as an inescapable fortress to house some of America’s most dangerous criminals. Located on an isolated island in the frigid waters of the San Francisco Bay, it provided a remote and secure environment intended to be the final destination for troublesome inmates from other federal prisons.
Over the years, Alcatraz held such notorious inmates as Al Capone, Robert Franklin Stroud (the “Birdman of Alcatraz”), George “Machine Gun” Kelly, and other high-profile convicts. Its harsh conditions, strict security measures, and supposedly inescapable location added to its formidable mystique.
However, the prison ultimately proved too costly and inefficient to continue operating. Its isolated location made supply shipments difficult, and the old facility became expensive to staff and maintain. In 1963, then Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy ordered Alcatraz permanently closed.
On March 21st, the last group of 27 inmates made the voyage off the island, transferring to other federal prisons on the mainland. Staff soon followed, leaving Alcatraz deserted as a former prison. It later reopened in 1973 as a popular tourist attraction, offering a glimpse into its history as one of America’s most notorious penal institutions.
