The Rock

That's the shower room. There's only a bar at about belly height between you and sodomy.

'Broadway' - between cell blocks B and C

I'm so tempted to watch Clint Eastwood's Escape from Alcatraz after checking out the Rock. Or maybe the modern version with big Nick Cage and Sean Connery. Nah fuck it I think I'll just watch Assault on Precinct 13 with Ja Rule and Lawrence Fishburn. Way better prison fiction. Or maybe just re-runs of Prison Break.

'Welcome to the Rock. Please walk with your back's to the wall.' Is the first thing an inmate hears. I wonder why? I found out when I saw the shower room...

The whole place was pretty interesting, especially the history behind it. Al Capone was housed here, and so was the 'Birdman'. There have been 8 murders, out of I think 30 something inmates who have attempted to escape, only 5 have been unaccounted for. 3 of them were the famous 'fake head' escapees. These guys made fake heads out of soap bars, paint, and their own hair. They used those as dummy's in their cots and made their way to the roof by digging through the air vent at the back of their cell (see the picture). They used spoons. They even sewed together a 'raft' out of raincoats to cross the bay to San Francisco, and made a paddle out of kitchenware. Smarter still, they brought an accordion with them. So they could you know, jam out when they got home free. Nah it was actually to pump up the raft (smart eh?).

They are unfortunately, presumed dead since the tide on the night they left should have pulled them out under the Golden Gate bridge and into 'bloody triangle' which is where all the shark attacks occur here. I was still pretty impressed.