Through a Spiritual Lens January 10, 2005 Issue

OUT OF DARKNESS

Paul Shippey

Al Capone shared this view of San Francisco during his four-and-half-year incarceration on Alcatraz, though I doubt that he was as fascinated by it as I was on this stormy winter's morning.

"The Rock," as it was known, in the middle of San Francisco Bay, was chosen as the site for a penitentiary with the specific purpose of prohibiting communication with the outside world by those confined within its walls. It was in operation from 1934 to 1963.

The splendid sight of the city, only a mile and a quarter away, must have been frustrating and sorely tempting for those confined to the Rock. At least 36 inmates tried to escape during this period. They probably felt they could see and almost taste freedom across the Bay.

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