As all good Bay Area history nerds know, Alcatraz Prison closed in 1963, less than a year after Frank Morris and John and Clarence Anglin escaped from the island, never to be seen again. What is less well known is that there were serious calls to shut down the prison all the way back in 1939, just five years after it opened. That was after a different escape attempt put a spotlight on the failures and flaws of The Rock, and prompted debate all the way to Washington, D.C.
On Jan. 13, 1939, five prisoners managed to saw through the bars of their individual cells in D block, get to the island’s western shoreline, and fashion a raft out of discarded lumber. Ultimately, two escapees were shot (one fatally) by guards, one fell from a cliff edge (and survived) and the final two were peacefully captured wearing only their skivvies.
This was by no means the first escape attempt by Alcatraz prisoners, but it represented a final straw for officials who were increasingly concerned that Alcatraz posed a security risk, as well as a PR problem for San Francisco…