ALCATRAZ: DEFYING THE ROCK

An island prison like no other, Alcatraz was the most escape-proof 22 acres in America. It housed the worst of the worst, the toughest of the tough. Criminals like Al "Scarface" Capone, Alvin "Creepy" Karpis and "The Birdman" Robert Stroud all called Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary home. Surrounded by over a mile of frigid, shark-infested waters, this supermax prison was designed to break the wills of the country's most notorious criminals. Inside the prison building, case-hardened cell bars, steel-plated doors and tool-proof windows kept prisoners in their cells. Armed guards, metal detectors, and cell shakedowns reminded inmates who was in charge. With a guard for every three prisoners, it would be tough for the inmates to escape. Yet these desperate men were determined to try. In its 29 years as a Federal Penitentiary, Alcatraz witnessed 14 documented escape attempts. But in every case, for different reasons, the cons failed to reach freedom.