Alcatraz

Alcatraz operated as a maximum security prison from 1934 to 1963. Over the course of these 30 years it saw some of the most famous criminals ever, such as Al "scarface" Capone  and George "machine gun" kelly. Although Alcatraz is well known as a Federal prison, most people don't know that it actually spent most of its time as a war prison from the 1850's to 1933. When Alcatraz was originally mapped out by Juan Manuel de Ayala in 1775 he named the island "La isla de los Alcatraces, or island of the pelicans, due to the large number of sea birds living on the island. 

In 1854 president Millard Fillmore signed an order that reserved the island for military use. In the early 1850's the island had more than 100 cannons around its perimeter and was the the most heavily fortified military base on the west coast. By the late 1850's and into the 1860's the first military prisoners were being housed on "the rock". The inmates during this time period included confederate sympathizers from the American Civil war, people who committed treason, and a number of rebellious indians. During this time the prisoners built the buildings on the island. Among them were a cell house that consisted of 600 cells, a hospital, a mess hall, and other prison houses.  

In 1934 when the military transferred the prison over to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The government wanted to show it's people that they were serious about stopping the crime of the 20's and 30's by opening a maximum-security, minimum-privilege prison. All inmates at Alcatraz from 1934-1963 were transferred their because they did not conform to the rules at their previous prison or they were an escape risk. Alcatraz was such an effective prison for two reasons. Number one it is located in the middle of the bay so the likelihood that a prisoner will escape is very slim. Over Alcatraz's time as a federal prison 36 men tried to escape in 14 different attempts. Out of those no one has ever "escaped". I put emphasis on the word escaped because there are still five men that are pronounced missing from the prison and presumed dead although no one is sure of this. The second reason that it was such an effective prison was that the prisoners followed such a strict daily routine that it taught them how to behave quickly. Inmates were only given four basic rights at the prison. They were shelter, food, clothing, and medical care. Everything else was a privilege that had to be eared with good behavior. If an inmate wanted to see his family he had to earn the right. Once the prison officers felt that the inmate no longer posed a threat they would be transferred back to their old prison to finish their sentence. Finally in 1963 Alcatraz's reign as a maximum security prison came to an end because it cost to much to maintain. 

Sources: 

http://www.history.com/topics/alcatraz

https://www.bop.gov/about/history/alcatraz.jsp

https://www.alcatrazcruises.com/website/history-military-fortress.aspx

http://www.alcatrazhistory.com/rs1.htm