Infamous Escapes from Alcatraz

Find information on the escapes from Alcatraz including the infamous Frank Lee Morris and Anglin brothers attempt in 1962.

In the 29 years Alcatraz prison was open, there were 14 escape attempts. Those attempts included 36 prisoners and none were considered successful.

Two of the prisoners drowned in the bay. Six of the prisoners of Alcatraz were shot during their escape attempts. Twenty three were captured and returned to their cells.

Five of the prisoners were never found. Prison officials consider those five to have also drowned since no one ever heard from them again.

The first attempt of the escapes from Alcatraz was on April of 1936. Joseph Bowers, inmate number 210 attempted to escape on his own. As he was climbing a fence, he was shot and killed by the guards.

Battle of Alcatraz

One of the most famous escape attempts was named the Battle of Alcatraz. It was also known as the Alcatraz Blastout.

It was one of the bloodiest escape attempts in Alcatraz history. On May 2, 1946, a group of six prisoners tried to take control of Alcatraz.

The prisoners of Alcatraz were able to overpower the guards to take control. The battle lasted for two days.

This is one of the escapes from Alcatraz where two officers were killed and several others were wounded. Three of the six prisoners that attempted to escape were also killed in the battle.

Reinforcements finally came in and took back the control of Alcatraz on May 4. The remaining three prisoners went on trial for the murders during the Battle of Alcatraz.

Another Famous Escape Attempt: Frank Lee Morris and the Anglin Brothers

The escape attempt by Frank Lee Morris, John and Clarence Anglin and another fellow inmate was another famous event by the prisoners of Alcatraz. This was one of the most thought out escape attempts from Alcatraz.

Frank Lee Morris was the mastermind behind the plan. For seven months, all four inmates prepared for their attempt by digging holes through the vent in their cells. The holes they created linked through to the ventilation ducts which they planned to use to escape from the main building.

This is one of the escapes from Alcatraz attempts where they prepared for the attempt by creating rafts and dummy heads for their beds. The dummy heads made it look like someone was sleeping and allowed them more time for their escape.

One evening, after 9pm in June 1962, the four inmates attempted their escape. They all placed their fake dummy heads in their beds, opened the covers to the vents, climbed through the ducts and outside of the main building.

You can see an example of how the fake heads looked in their cells in the picture below. This is one of the cells you can also see during your tour of Alcatraz.

The fourth prisoner had trouble getting his cover off his vent, so they left him. He ended up getting it off hours after the others, climbed through the vents and realized he was too late to escape with the other three. He then returned to his cell undetected.

Due to the decoy heads, the guards didn't notice the missing prisoners of Alcatraz until after 7am the next morning. Alcatraz went into lock down and a massive search for the missing prisoners of Alcatraz followed.

The three prisoners were never seen or heard from again. Most of the evidence found led the authorities to determine that all three drown in the San Francisco bay during the escape attempt.

When you visit Alcatraz, you can still see the holes they dug in their cells. They also have some fake heads set up so you can see how real the dummy heads looked to the guards. You can see how the guards could have walked by at night without noticing the missing prisoners of Alcatraz.

The movie Escape from Alcatraz was based on this escape attempt. Clint Eastwood played the part of Frank Lee Morris.

These are some of the most infamous escapes from Alcatraz. Visit the Prisoners of Alcatraz page to learn about more of the infamous prisoners of Alcatraz and their life before and after their prison time.

If you want to visit this amazing historical site in San Francisco, visit the Alcatraz Prison Tours section to learn more about booking tickets to visit Alcatraz. If you've already booked your tickets, visit the Visit Alcatraz - Tips to Help You Prepare page for helpful hints on preparing for your upcoming visit.