Alcatraz Island and America’s Obsession with Mass Incarceration

When I was about 9 or 10 years old, I remember my grandpa telling me stories about Al Capone and how he used to hide out in certain parts of northern Wisconsin which happened to be the area we vacationed every summer while I was growing up. This led me down a rabbit hole about Al Capone’s life which eventually led me to Alcatraz Island. I was fascinated by how the prison operated, with it being on an island nearly impossible for anyone to access or leave. I learned about all the failed escape attempts and what a typical day looked like for an inmate. It was safe to say that when I found out that we were going to tour Alcatraz, I was more than thrilled. I had spent years begging my parents to take me there, so getting to see a place that I spent years dreamed about visiting was a childhood dream come true.

I had always known that the island was a tourist destination, but I had not realized how large scale it was. The National Park system currently controls the tours and the property, so it did not come as a surprise to me to see a souvenir shop at the end of the tour. I was pleased with the tour, but as it ended and I walked into the gift shop, I began to get a sour taste in my mouth. The gift shop had a bunch of “prisoner” memorabilia like the cups that the inmates would have used, prison jumpsuits, and mock cell keys. How they were willing to profit from the suffering that the inmates endured at Alcatraz left me with mixed feelings about Alcatraz. After reflecting I realized that this was very on-brand for America as a country. America has a weird obsession with prisons and capitalism, so much so that they are willing to have places like Alcatraz still up and running for tours.

At the end of the tour, there is an opportunity to go into a different area that has a display about the current incarnation system in America. In my opinion, it was set up nicely and called out how dysfunctional the prison system is in the United States. It showed that America has the largest incarcerated population in the world. The exhibit also acknowledged that black people make up over half that population, which brings me to the root of the issue. The United States uses the prison industrial complex as a form modern slavery. The minority population is getting charged with lengthy sentences for crimes that white people will barely serve any time for. Not to mention that the United States does not focus on rehabilitation for the people in the system to make it easier for them to adjust back into society. Instead, make it so much more difficult for someone who served time to be a functioning member of society. So much so that it is common for them to commit another crime and be incarcerated again. It is clear that the prison industrial complex is an ongoing issue, but it was nice to see that the National Park System took the time to acknowledge that there is a problem and bring it to the attention of the people that visit.