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"Famous Jails and Criminals"

San Quentin is California's oldes and best know correctional institution. The prison today includes a reception center for new commitments, a parole violator unit, genreal population units, and a minimum security work crew unit. The state's only gas chamber and death row for all male inmates are located at San Quentin.
San Quentin was established in July 1852 at Point Quentin in Marin county as an answer to the rampant lawlessness in California at that time. During its construction, inmated slept on the prison ship, the Waban, at night and labored to built the new prison during the day. San Quentin housed both male and female inmates untill 1933 when the women's prison at Tehachapi was built.

Alcatraz island was  acquired by the U.S. Government in the late 1840s. BY 1858, it had been fortified into an Army fort and eventually had a military prison.
As a  Military Prison, documented are at least 80 men had attempted to escape in 29 seperate attempts; of those, 62 were caught, 1 may have drowned, and 17 were unknown.
As a Federal Penitentiary and from a total of 1,033 prisoners, 34 men had attempted to escape in 14 seperate attempts; of those 23 were caught, 6 were shot and killled, and 5 are missing and assumes by Prison Authorities to have drowned.

To the left are three pictures of convicts whe escaped Alcatraz and later had a moved made after them, called " Escape from Alcatraz" 1973.
First convict named Clarence Anglin, age 31, sentenced 17 years. Middle named John William Anglin, age 32, sentenced 10 years. Bottom named Frank Lee Morris, age35, sentenced 14 years.
Alcatraz Ferdral penitentiary was officially closed on March 21, 1963.

Leavenworth has long been associated with prisons. Few are aware that threr are actually four prison complexes within the Greater Leavenwoth area.
The four prisons are U.S. Maximum Security Penitentiary, U.S. Military Disciplinary Barracks, Lansing Correctional Facility - State of Kansas, and Corrections Corporation of America (CCA). The newest prison to locate in Leavenworth is CCA. CCA is a privately qwned and operated prison facility serving primarily the U.S. Marshall's Office for persons awaiting trial, sentencing or assignment to a fedral prison
The prison "connection" is so strong that the Leavenworth Tourism Bureau uses the prison theme in marketing the area with the slogan "Doin Time in Leavenworth."
Fort Leavenwoth, which is officially within the City of Leavenworth, has a resident population of approximately 12,500, including th eprison population, has a significant economic impact on the area.

California's second oldest prison, Folsom primarily houses Level II (medium custody) inmates. In addition, it has a minimun security unit. At Folsom, A walled perimeter encompasses five general population cell blocks. This portion of the prison includes one of the state's best - known prison industries, the license plate fatory.
The Folsom Museum is located near the entrance of Folsom Prison. Run by volunteers, the museum contains documents and artifacts from throughout Folsom's long and colorful history.
Folsom State Prison's location was selected due to an unlimited  amount of native stone for building the prison. Also, the American River offered ample water and formed a natural boundary for the prison. As one of the nation's first maximum prisons, Folsom recieved its 44 inmated on July 26,1880. They were transferred by boat and train from San Quentin.
Originally designed to hold inmated serving long sentences, habitual criminals, and incorrigibles, Folsom State Prison gained reputaion of having a violent and bloody beginning and history. Prior to the completion of the granite wall in the 1920's, the prison witnessed numerous escapes; the first one occurres in 1880. The prisoners' attempts to escape took many lives. :o(*

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