The New Cellhouse.
Broadway, the main prison corridor (between B and C Blocks). This contemporary photo was taken from the Mess Hall gate, looking toward the East Gun Gallery and the Visitors" Station. The cells along the flats of Broadway were the least favored by the inmate population. These cells were subject to the greatest amount of traffic and the least privacy. They received no direct sunlight, and were considerably colder than cells in other sections, since the heat radiators were located along the cellhouse interior perimeter.
This is a period view of Broadway around 1940, looking toward the West End Gun Gallery and the Mess Hall. Note the officer visible in the Gallery. New inmates were a.s.signed to the second tier of B Block, and were quarantined in their cells for a ninety-day period. During this time they were not provided with work a.s.signments, and were not allowed to see movies in the upstairs auditorium. They were only released from their cells for meals, recreation, religious services, and showers. Alcatraz was racially segregated, and African-American inmates were a.s.signed to this area of the prison.
A view of cells from the second tier of B Block, taken in December of 1954.
After the 1934 renovations were complete, the new steel reinforced concrete cellhouse would contain four cellblocks, each housing 168 cells, with no one cell adjoined to any perimeter wall. If an inmate were able to tunnel his way through the cell wall, he would still need to find a way to escape from the cellhouse itself. There were 336 cells in B and C Blocks and each block spanned 150 feet in length. Each tier contained twenty-eight cells that were nine feet long and five feet wide, with a ceiling height of just over seven feet. There had originally been 348 cells, but twelve were removed when stairways were installed at the end of each cellblock. Two cells at the end of C Block were used as restrooms for the guard staff. The primary inmate population would only be a.s.signed to B, C and D Blocks, since the total number of inmates would generally not exceed three hundred. Inmates would typically spend anywhere from twelve to twenty-three hours a day confined in their cells. Each cell contained a cot with a sleeping mattress approximately five inches thick, blankets, a small worktable, a toilet, a sink that supplied cold fresh drinking water, and a shelf that could be used for the inmate"s personal effects.
In the middle of each block was a utility corridor containing plumbing and ventilation ducts for each cell. The cross-aisle at the front of the prison was named by inmates "Peekin" Place." This was the location of the visiting area, which consisted of four small bulletproof windows with small part.i.tions. Inmates would sit here to talk with relatives and authorized guests during their visiting period. Directly across on the opposite end of the cellhouse was Times Square, so named because of a large wall-mounted clock that hung at the base of the West Gun Gallery.
A series of views showing the cellhouse area known to inmates as "Times Square." The second photograph was taken on August 20, 1934 The cells in A Block were generally used in special solitary confinement conditions for short-term lock-up periods or whenever an inmate needed to be fully isolated from his fellow prisoners. Following the construction of D Block in 1941, A Block was used only in special circ.u.mstances. Several of the cells served as storage s.p.a.ce for things such as cleaning supplies, and others were set up as small offices with ribbon typewriters and law references for inmates who were preparing their legal cases.
Inmates later named the main corridor running between B and C Blocks Broadway. The cells along this pa.s.sageway (and especially the cells along the flats) were considered the least desirable of all. Those on the bottom tier were inherently colder because of the long slick run of cement, and they were also the least private, since guards, inmates, and other personnel frequented and this corridor and a main pa.s.sageway between the east and west sections of the prison. The newer "fish" were a.s.signed to the second tier of B Block during their quarantine status. The quarantine protocol required inmates to remain in their cells for twenty three hours per day and prohibited any work a.s.signments for the first three months of their imprisonment. The outer aisle between C and D Blocks were named Seedy Street, and Michigan Avenue between the B and A Blocks. The section of C Block directly facing the library was known as Park Ave.
The area known to inmates as "Seedy Street."
A view from the D Block entrance, looking down "Seedy Street" towards "Park Ave."
Park Avenue. This was considered by inmates as the best cell location, because of its warmth and sunlight.
Inmates considered this group of cells to be the best living area in the entire prison. The cells were considerably warmer, as they received some direct sunlight and when no one was at work in the library, they had limited privacy. The cellhouse plumbing system piped in salt.w.a.ter from the San Francis...o...b..y for the flushing of cell toilets. It was said to have permeated the cells with a foul smell that the inmates hated, and this would be the origin of Warden Johnston"s nickname, "Salt.w.a.ter Johnston."
There were several tests performed on the new "tool-proof" bar structures. The new round-style bars were forged from a layered composite material, and they replaced the older flat-style bars. In tests, prison personnel utilized several hacksaw types that could be found within the prison industries. Their studies showed that sawing through the soft steel exterior of the cell bars was seemingly easy, but once the blade struck the hardened core section made from carbon steel, it could progress no further, and would quickly dull. There were other tests utilizing abrasives and piano wire and these had limited success in making significant cuts into the bar, but all failed to saw completely through. The Stewart Iron Works Company completed the remodeling of the cellhouse structure and locking mechanisms in late July of 1934, and also facilitated the training all of the prison personnel.
On average, inmates were required to spend sixteen hours per day confined in their cells. Those who had no work a.s.signment would spend twenty-three hours a day in lockdown.
John Paul Chase, the partner of Baby Face Nelson, was convicted for the murder of an FBI Agent, and was an avid artist during his tenure at Alcatraz.
Guard Towers.
An armed officer standing on the exterior walk of the Road Tower. Visible in the distance is the Model Shop Tower.
Two exterior views of armed officers standing on the catwalk of the Road Tower. Guard Tower Officers stood ready to fire upon any inmate who attempted to escape, or any vessel that breached the 200-yard perimeter.
The guard towers were considered one of the worst post a.s.signments by correctional officers. The towers were typically cold and boring during the long shifts and activities such as reading or listening to a radio were prohibited.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons built six guard towers which were manned by armed officers carrying high-powered rifles and machine guns.
The Dock Tower.
The prison had six watchtowers that were constructed as tactical lookouts. The Dock Tower was located at the north end of the dock area. The officer a.s.signed to this post would watch for any vessels that failed to maintain a minimum 200-yard distance, and he would also be the keeper of the keys to the prison launch. The Main Tower was originally located on the northeast roof area of the main cellhouse. It was manned twenty-four hours a day during its seventeen years of operation, and was ultimately removed in 1951. Had it been left in place, this tower would likely have prevented the famous Morris and Anglin brothers" escape in 1962. In the early years of the prison there was also a Powerhouse Tower located at the northeast end of the island, adjacent to the powerhouse. It was eventually abandoned when the Dock Tower was rebuilt to a higher elevation. The Model Tower was located on the rooftop of the Model Industries Building and was staffed only during daylight / work hours. The Hill Tower was located between the main prison yard and the prison industries and there was a long catwalk that ran from the recreation yard wall to the Model Shop Building. The tower was positioned to allow the officer on-duty to provide a.s.sistance to officers posted at these locations. The Road Tower was accessed by a catwalk leading from the prison yard catwalk and was isolated by a barbed wire cyclone gate in the middle of the walkway.
Most of the tower posts had their own toilets and running water. Nevertheless, officers considered these posts to be the worst a.s.signments of any on the island. Former Captain of the Guards Philip Bergen, who was a.s.signed to Alcatraz from 1939 until 1955, later commented: "There was nothing worse than being a.s.signed to a tower or on the yard wall. I had that duty on a number of occasions and it was h.e.l.l. Your lips and skin were always chapped from exposure, and the cold metal [of your gun] would numb your hands." The tower a.s.signments were typically cold and extremely boring. Radios were considered a dangerous diversion and were strictly prohibited. The tower officers were well armed with a variety of weapons, in a different configuration for each post. The weapons used included Thompson submachine guns, powerful .30-06 Springfield rifles, Colt .45 pistols, gas guns and gas grenades. Former Correctional Officer Al Bloomquist recalled his a.s.signment to the Road Tower: "At night, it was freezing cold and if the fog was thick enough, it had a very eerie feeling. You couldn"t see anything when the night fog shrouded the island and I can still remember hearing the deafening screech of the seagulls that would startle the h.e.l.l out of you. It always made you a little nervous, especially after knowing that those desperate inmates had rushed St.i.tes (an officer a.s.signed to the Model Shop Tower during a 1938 escape attempt). When they finally gave me a day a.s.signment in the industries, I can remember never being happier. I used to think that this was worse than being locked in one of those cells on the inside of the prison."
Warden James A. Johnston 1934 1948.
A photograph of the first Warden of Alcatraz, James A. Johnston. This image was produced for his book Prison Life is Different. He auth.o.r.ed several other publications, including a book on Alcatraz ent.i.tled Alcatraz and the Men Who Live There In November of 1933, the U.S. Attorney General chose James A. Johnston, a strict disciplinarian with a humanistic approach to reform as the new warden of Alcatraz. Johnston came to the position with a broad-based background in business and twelve years of experience in the California Department of Corrections. James Johnston was born in Brooklyn, New York on September 15, 1874, to Thomas and Ellen Johnston. He moved to California to attend the Sacred Heart College in San Francisco to study law. In 1905 Johnston married Ida Fulton and the couple decided to remain in California. From 1912 until 1913, Johnston served a brief term as the warden at Folsom Prison on the appointment of the Governor of California. His successful term at Folsom led to another position as the warden of San Quentin Prison, where he would remain until 1925. After leaving the prison system, Johnston became the Vice-President of the American Trust Company and later took an appointment as a chief appraiser for the Federal Home Loan Bank Corporation.
Two photographs of James A. Johnston as a young man, during his terms as Warden of Folsom Prison in 1912-1913, and as Warden of San Quentin Prison from 1913-1925.
The Department of Justice considered Johnston a "scientific penologist," and he had a remarkable track record of successfully returning a high percentage of inmates to productive society. Johnston had become well known for the programs he implemented in the area of prisoner reform and he was also a promoter of inmate rights. He abolished the wearing of striped uniforms, which he considered demeaning to the inmates and he advocated active inmate partic.i.p.ation in religious services. He didn"t believe in chain gangs, but rather in having inmates report to a job where they were respected and rewarded for their efforts.
Nicknamed the "Golden Rule Warden" at San Quentin, Johnston was praised in newspaper articles for the California highways that were graded by San Quentin prisoners. Although inmates were not compensated for this work, they were rewarded with sentence reductions. Johnston also established several educational programs at San Quentin, which proved successful for a good number of inmates. He invited famous actors and actresses of the era to entertain on special occasions, including such greats as Mary Pickford and Sarah Bernhardt. Johnston purchased a motion picture projector for the inmates at San Quentin and vaudeville companies were permitted to perform for the prisoners. But despite Johnston"s humane approach to prison reform, he also carried a reputation as a strict disciplinarian. His rules of conduct were among the most rigid in the correctional system and harsh punishments were meted out to defiant inmates. During his tenure at "Q," Johnston also oversaw the executions by hanging of several inmates.
Johnston abolished the wearing of striped prison uniforms, which he considered demeaning to the inmates. He didn"t believe in chain gangs (depicted here in a movie still with the men walking in what was termed as "Lock Step"), and he advocated having inmates report to a job where they were respected and rewarded for their efforts. Johnston held a remarkable track record of successfully returning a high percentage of inmates to productive society, by teaching them job skills that could translate to employment outside of prison.
Warden Johnston served as Warden of Alcatraz from 1934 until 1948.
James Johnston was considered an icon of San Francisco during his term as Warden of Alcatraz. He is seen here during a public fundraiser, circa 1942.
At Alcatraz, Johnston was allowed to hand-pick his correctional officers from the entire federal prison system. Johnston"s first appointment was Cecil J. Shuttleworth from St. Paul, Minnesota, who he chose as his Deputy Warden. He also appointed four lieutenants who were all well versed in the federal prison system. They were Edward J. Miller and Paul J. Madigan (who was later to become Warden himself) from Leavenworth, Edward Starling from Atlanta, and Richard Culver from Virginia. Fifty-two other correctional officers would be transferred to Alcatraz to a.s.sume guard posts.
The Guards of Alcatraz.
A letter detailing officers" salaries for their new appointments at Alcatraz.
A group photograph of the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary Personnel, taken on June 4, 1936. Warden Johnston is seen sitting in the middle. To his left is Deputy Warden C.J. Shuttleworth, and to his right is future Deputy Warden E.J. Miller.
A small group of Alcatraz officers posing in 1953. Standing on the far left is Captain of the Guard Emil Rychner.
Alcatraz officers receiving martial arts training.
The guard-to-prisoner ratio on Alcatraz was one to three, which compared favorably with other prisons where there could be twelve or more inmates to every guard. The Alcatraz guards were able to keep extremely close track of each inmate, thanks to the Gun Galleries at each end of the cellblocks and the high frequency of prisoner counts. Because of the small number of inmates on Alcatraz, the guards generally knew each one by name. Salaries for the correctional staff were also better than at most other penitentiaries. In 1934 the average annual salary of a correctional officer at Alcatraz was $3,162, and by the time the prison closed in 1963, salaries for officers had risen to nearly $5,000 a year. Officers at Alcatraz were provided with extensive training, and were considered to be the best in the federal system. After being signed into service on Alcatraz, they would undergo a formalized program to help prepare them for their new position.
A photograph of Captain of the Guard Emil Rychner (standing), during an officer training session.
The shooting range at Alcatraz, which was used for weapons training.
The guard-training curriculum was condensed into an extremely intensive four-week program. The cla.s.ses covered self-defense skills, aggressive Judo as well as defensive maneuvers. Officers also were expected to qualify with the various firearms used at the secure posts. They would learn how to operate the cell mechanisms and became versed in the rules and regulations governing the prison. Furthermore, officers were trained in basic psychology, including role-playing techniques for deescalating potential riot situations and identification of unusual behavioral patterns. Inmates frequently made contraband weapons that could put the unarmed officers a.s.signed to inmate areas at significant risk. As an additional precaution, officers would learn the language of the underground prison code and the importance of not getting too friendly with the inmates. The officers were expected to remain firm, and to enforce the regulations to the letter.
Warden Johnston and Attorney General Sanford Bates created a set of rigid guiding principles under which the prison would operate, and the first of these was that no prisoner would be directly sentenced to Alcatraz from the courts. Instead, wardens from the various federal penitentiaries were polled and permitted to send their most incorrigible inmates to The Rock. They chose inmates with histories of unmanageable behavior and escape attempts, but they also sent high-profile inmates who were receiving privileges because of their status and notoriety. a.s.sistant Director of the Bureau of Prisons James V. Bennett later commented, "In a sense, I was a talent scout for Alcatraz. One of my jobs was to review the records of all the men in the various federal prisons and decide who would be sent to the Rock." Inmates would be required to earn their way back to another federal inst.i.tution before they could be considered for parole. Those who sought an attorney to represent them while incarcerated at Alcatraz would have to do so by direct request to the U.S. Attorney General. All privileges would be limited, and no inmate, regardless of his public stature, would be extended special ent.i.tlements.
Visitation and Inmate Rights.
Another training photograph with a.s.sociate Warden Arthur Dollison seated in the center, and Warden Paul Madigan seated on the far right.
The visiting area, called Peekin" Place by inmates because they were only allowed to talk with visitors through small bulletproof gla.s.s portals. The visiting area was located next to the main prison entrance. The barred gate on the right was the access gate to the stairway leading to the prison Chapel.
Bureau officials are seen here posing as visitors seated in the visitors" gallery. No physical contact was allowed between family visitors and inmates for any reason.
An inmate talking with family members in the visiting area, using a hands-free intercom.
A correctional officer sitting at the desk in the inmate visiting area.
Conversations were monitored by prison officers, and the visit was immediately ended if an inmate violated the prison rules and regulations pertaining to visits.
Inmates had to earn visitation rights, but no visits would be allowed for the first three months of their residence on Alcatraz. The warden would personally approve all requests and only one visit, per month, per inmate would be permitted. The visitor was required to be a spouse or blood relative, and would be allotted two hours. Visitors were not allowed any physical contact with the inmate, so there would be no opportunity for a visitor to pa.s.s any form of contraband. All visitors were conducted through a two-inch-thick bulletproof squared porthole, via a telephone intercom that was monitored by a correctional officer. Any discussion of current events, topics specific to the prison or other inmates, or anything that could have a potential link to crime would be forbidden. An inmate or visitor who violated this rule would immediately be cut off and the visit terminated. For inmates with relatives traveling from outside California, the Warden would sometimes allow consecutive visits (i.e., January 31st and February 1st).
Inmates were given restricted access to the prison library, but no newspapers, radios, or other non-approved reading materials would be allowed. Mail service was considered a privilege, and all letters, both in-coming and out-going, were to be screened, censored, and typewritten. Work was also a.s.signed as a privilege and not a right. Consideration for work a.s.signments would be based on an inmate"s conduct record.
Each prisoner was a.s.signed his own cell and allotted only the basic necessities, such as food, water, clothing, and medical & dental care. Inmate Willie Radkay (who occupied a cell next to Machine Gun Kelly at Alcatraz), later indicated during an interview that having your own cell was a great advantage over other federal prisons. When inmates lived in separate cells, the chances of being s.e.xually violated were reduced, and the privacy afforded was also a cherished benefit. Personal property was generally limited to a few photographs, and the cells were subject to meticulous inspections that were frequent, random and unannounced.
The inmates" contact with the outside world was completely cut off. Convicted spy Morton Sobell stated that the rules at Alcatraz were so stringent that inmates were never allowed to explore the cellhouse on their own. They would be marched from one location to another, always in a regulated manner. The routine was unyielding, day after day, year after year, and even on most holidays. As quickly as a right was awarded for good behavior, it could be taken away for the slightest infraction. Johnston would tell the press on opening day: "The essence of Alcatraz is a maximum security prison, with minimum privileges".
Transition to a Civilian Prison.
When the Military evacuated the island on June 19, 1934, they left behind thirty-two hard-edged prisoners to serve out their sentences on Alcatraz. The remaining military inmates were a.s.signed Alcatraz numbers alphabetically with Frank Bolt as 01-AZ. These men later became resentful of being imprisoned with what the media had publicized as America"s worst criminals. There was a thread of dissention among these inmates, who thought that they should be released to more lenient inst.i.tutions. The first civilian to be held at Alcatraz was Frederick Grant White, who arrived on July 13, 1934 from McNeil Island. The next civilian inmate had an interesting connection to the island prison. Robert Bradford Moxon had once served at Alcatraz as a soldier. Ironically, after being discharged, he was arrested on charges of forgery and sent back to serve out his sentence on the Rock, arriving on August 2, 1934.
Frank L. Bolt was Alcatraz inmate #AZ-01.
Bolt"s dishonorable discharge papers from the US Army.
Frederick Grant White was the first civilian inmate at Alcatraz. He arrived on July 13, 1934 from McNeil Island.
A telegram to Warden Johnston, providing transfer details for inmate White.
A photograph of military inmate John Miller, one of the thirty-two inmates left to finish out their sentences at Alcatraz following the prison"s transition to a civilian inst.i.tution. Miller"s photograph ill.u.s.trates one of the rare instances of leniency at the prison, which would be short lived. Mustaches were not allowed at Alcatraz during its tenure as a Federal penitentiary.
Robert Bradford Moxon.
Warden Johnston on August 18, 1934, leading a tour for dignitaries. Pictured from left to right are San Francisco Mayor Angelo Rossi; Attorney General Homer c.u.mmings, one of the conceptual founders of the prison; Warden Johnston; and San Francisco Police Chief William Quinn. The photograph opposite shows the group leaving the prison.
Attorney General Homer S. c.u.mmings and Warden James Johnston inspecting the staff of correctional officers during the opening of the prison in 1934. The officer standing second from the left is future a.s.sociate Warden E.J. Miller.
The first official group of fourteen federal inmates arrived at Alcatraz from McNeil Island on August 11, 1934. Their ident.i.ties were kept completely secret from an aggressive press, hungry to report on the first arrivals. Their train pulled into Oakland at 9:40 a.m., and the inmates were led in handcuffed pairs to the prison launch General McDowell. As the prisoners were lined up in formation along the dock, the island"s residents peered down through their curtains to get a glimpse of their new neighbors. The inmates were forced to walk up to the main cellhouse heavily shackled, and under heavy guard. Once they arrived at the receiving area in the prison bas.e.m.e.nt, they were photographed, stripped, and a.s.signed their inmate numbers. They were then each given a medical examination, showered, and marched naked to their new cells carrying their clothes and utensils. Renowned inmate Darwin c.o.o.n recalled his first experience of arriving at Alcatraz, in his compelling personal memoir ent.i.tled Alcatraz The True End of the Line: Five or six officers were standing in front of the prison. Without ceremony, they ushered us through a solid steel door with an electric lock. Then we had to wait for a key to be lowered down so that the officer could open a barred gate in front of us. We went into a room where they removed the handcuffs and leg irons. I was so happy to get those things off I didn"t care where I was. Then we were strip searched and marched naked to the showers. After that we were taken to fish row where we were each a.s.signed a cell in an area that came to be known to us as Broadway.
The first groups of inmates transferred from other Federal penitentiaries were brought to the island still shackled in the train cars that had carried them across the United States. They were considered the nations" most incorrigible criminals, and no chances would be taken by off-loading the train cars on the mainland. During the transfers, newspaper reporters followed the trains across the country, with onlookers flocking to see America"s worst public enemies.
The second group of fifty-three inmates arrived at 5:45 a.m. on August 22, 1934, three and a half days after it left Atlanta, and the third and largest group consisting of 106 inmates came from Leavenworth on September 4, 1934. In later a newspaper report covering the arrival of the Atlanta cars, it provided late details of the route. Rather than taking any direct route, it made an excursion which added an additional 60-mile route through northern Bay Area cities: Two miles east of Martinez, a switchman shifted the train onto the Southern Pacific track that took it over the railroad bridge heading toward Suisun City. It turned left at Fairfield pa.s.sed through Cordelia and Napa Junction. At Sh.e.l.lville, the train went on the tracks of the Northwestern Pacific and turned south, pa.s.sing Black Point, Ignacio and San Rafael, finally stopping at Tiburon. Awaiting it there (Tiburon) was the Red Stack Sea Rover, under Captain Webster Hargins with 25 special guards and federal operatives, ready to take the prisoners out to Alcatraz.
The routine for admission would essentially remain unchanged throughout the history of the prison. When the first groups arrived, a.s.sociate Warden C.J. Shuttleworth distributed a brief set of rules describing the disciplinary matrix that would govern their confinement. In this communication he also described the system that would be employed to discipline inmates who refused to abide by the rules set down by the Warden: You will receive your punishment of perhaps 10 days in isolation on a restricted diet of bread and water. That practice will continue while you remain in isolation, and you will be provided with medical care if required for any illness. Isolation is a dark cell known here as "the Hole." It consists of nothing but four walls, a ceiling and a floor. When you sleep, you will be provided blankets for warmth and a pillow for your head, but you may be required to do so on concrete. When a prisoners" required number of days in the hole expires, he is placed in what is known as Solitary Confinement. Here he enjoys the nighttime use of a bunk. He gets bread and water for breakfast, a noon meal the same as on the prison main line, and bread and water before he goes to bed.
When he is released from solitary he goes to his regular cell in the main prison. He will be placed in "grade." Grade will consist of the following: He will have a red tag placed on the cell plate of his door, which will indicate third grade. He may leave his cell only to go to the mess hall for scheduled meals. This will continue for three months. If he has not violated any rules for this period, he will be elevated to second grade. Now he will be able to write and receive a restricted number of letters. When he performs satisfactorily at this level, he will be promoted to first grade, where he will enjoy instatement of all normal prison privileges.
Among the first inmates to arrive were notorious gangsters Al Capone and Doc Barker (the last surviving son from the famous Ma Barker Gang), as well as George "Machine Gun" Kelly, Harvey Bailey, Roy Gardner, Floyd Hamilton (a gang member and driver for Bonnie & Clyde), and several other gangland criminals. Warden Johnston was openly concerned over the security of the new arrivals. The inmates would not even be permitted to leave the train, which would be transferred onto a floating barge and towed across the Bay. The train was diverted to Tiburon, and then ferried to Alcatraz. There was an officer stationed in each railcar, who sat inside a reinforced cage with a loaded shotgun. It was later noted that the train cars seemed horribly unstable, and many feared that they could tip and plunge the inmates into the frigid water, to meet their demise by drowning. It was also during this trek across the turbulent San Francis...o...b..y waters that rumors of man-eating sharks and fin sightings started to circulate among the inmates.
New inmates are seen here shackled in leg irons during the admissions process. They are standing in the bas.e.m.e.nt hall next to the shower room.
Machine Gun Kelly under heavy guard, boarding an armored train car.
The Daily Routine.
Inmate graffiti of a calendar etched on the floor of a cell, and a caricature found on a soft iron bar, drawn by inmate Olin Stevens in the late 1930"s.
The life of the Alcatraz convict was repet.i.tious, regimented, and monastic. Everything was done in accordance with a strict schedule, and the methodical routine cycle was unforgiving and relentless. It never varied through the years, and became a definitive model of clockwork organization. The daily schedule was established by Warden Johnston as one of his original directives in 1934, and it would remain fairly consistent throughout the prison"s tenure.
06:30 AM: Morning Bell. Prisoners arise, make beds, place all articles in prescribed order on shelf, clean washbasin and toilet, bowl, wipe off bars, sweep cell floor, fold table and seat against the wall, wash, and dress.
06:45 AM: Detail guards a.s.signed for mess hall duty; they take their positions so as to watch the prisoners coming out of cells and prepare to march into the mess hall with them. The guards supervise the serving and the seating of their details, give the signal to start eating, and the signal to rise after eating.
06:50 AM: Second Morning Bell. The prisoners stand by the door facing out and remain there until the whistle signal, during which time the lieutenants and cellhouse guards of both shifts make the count. When the count is found to be correct, the lieutenant orders the cells unlocked.
06:55 AM: Whistle signal given by deputy warden or lieutenant; all inmates step out of their cells and stand straight facing the mess hall. Upon the second whistle.
07:00 AM: Third whistle signal; lower right tier of Block 3 (C) and lower left tier of Block 2 (B) move forward into mess hall, each line is followed in turn by the second and the third tiers, then by the lower tier on the opposite side of their block, followed by the second and the third tiers from the same side. The Block 3 line moves into the mess hall, keeping to the left of the center of the mess; Block 2 goes forward at the same time, keeping to the right. Both lines proceed to serving the table; the right line served from the right and occupies the tables on the right; the left line to left, etc. As each man is served, he will sit erect with his hands at his sides until the whistle signal is given for the first detail to begin eating. Twenty minutes are allowed for eating. When they are finished eating the prisoners place their knives, forks, and spoons on their trays; the knife at the left, the fork in center, and the spoon on the right side of the tray. They then sit erect with their hands down at their sides, After all of the men have finished eating, a guard walks to each table to see that all utensils are in their proper place. He then returns to his position.
07:20 AM: Upon signal from deputy warden, the first detail in each line arises and proceeds through the rear entrance door of the cellhouse to the recreation yard. Inside detail, are those not a.s.signed any detail; proceed to their work or cells.
07:25 AM: Guards and their details move out in the following order through the rear gates: 1. Laundry.