Why would you want to escape from AlcaÂtraz when you could eat Beef Pot Pie Anglaise for lunch on TuesÂday, Baked Meat CroÂquettes on WednesÂday, and Bacon JamÂbalÂaya on SatÂurÂday? On secÂond thought, why wouldÂn’t you want to escape.
Above, we have the actuÂal menu for the meals served at AlcaÂtraz durÂing one week in SepÂtemÂber, 1946. (View it in a slightÂly largÂer forÂmat here.) AlcaÂtraz was, of course, a high secuÂriÂty fedÂerÂal prison that operÂatÂed off of the coast of San FranÂcisÂco from 1933 until 1963. Some of AmerÂiÂca’s more notoÂriÂous crimÂiÂnals spent time dinÂing there — good felÂlows like Al Capone, George “Machine Gun” KelÂly, Bumpy JohnÂson, and James “Whitey” BulÂger.
As you may know, BulÂger is now back on triÂal in Boston. After being released from prison durÂing the 1960s, he allegedÂly re-immersed himÂself in the world of orgaÂnized crime, before evenÂtuÂalÂly spendÂing 16 years livÂing as a fugiÂtive, largeÂly in CalÂiÂforÂnia. While on the lam, he amazÂingÂly had the chutzÂpah to visÂit AlcaÂtraz (now a tourist site) and pose for a picÂture where he donned a striped suit and stood behind mock prison bars. I have to wonÂder whether he had some Puree MonÂgole for old times’ sake?
via SF Gate and LaughÂing Squid
RelatÂed ConÂtent:
The Odd ColÂlecÂtion of Books in the GuanÂtanamo Prison Library
See a PeruÂvian Prison Seized with Dance Fever as They Try to Break a GuinÂness World Record
PhiÂlosÂoÂphy in Prison: Weighty ConÂverÂsaÂtions about Right and Wrong
Because “Beef Pot Pie Anglaise” was a euphamism for someÂthing so disÂgustÂing and devoid of proÂtein and actuÂal nutriÂtion you realÂly didÂn’t want to stomÂach it.
In prison, a good 1/3 of meals to a CivilÂian from the ouside, are what I call “Throw Away Meals”. In othÂer words, they are so disÂgustÂing to you, you just walk to the trash can, dump the whole thing away in disÂgust (and hunger).
If you are one of the few forÂtuÂnate ones with peoÂple on the outÂside that still care about you, you have a stash of store food you bought, which is mainÂly lots of ramen soup, a few canned soft drinks, a few bags of fritos, and maybe some peanuts. You mix the ramen with the fritos and try and make a meal out of it.
You could say also you have all the free cable tv you want to watch as well. This also is not true. There is one TV, it is mountÂed so high up you crane your neck to see it… to watch it you have to sit in the dayÂroom, a danÂgerÂous area exposed… and its always tuned to someÂthing horÂrid… like Fox News ProÂpaÂganÂda or WWF wrestling.
Don’t believe everyÂthing you hear about prison. If it sounds rosy and sugÂar coatÂed, it is. An illuÂsion of words.
Great post ChopÂper!
You’ve defÂiÂniteÂly been there ChopÂperÂgirl. In jail, I nevÂer used my entire ramen packÂet and evenÂtuÂalÂly accuÂmuÂlatÂed a large colÂlecÂtion of “seaÂsonÂings”. I learned which ramen flaÂvor would fix each of the lousy dishÂes they served. I also became the “flaÂvor exchange guy” for whoÂevÂer wantÂed to swap packÂets. OddÂly, it all made me a betÂter cook when I got back home.
I was an engiÂneerÂing guy. All I ever did was get real good at growÂing my own cancer/chemo medÂicaÂtion. WaitÂing 180 days for for shock-proÂbaÂtion seemed like forÂevÂer.
SomeÂhow I doubt either of you have been to prison.
Gee, prison is supÂposed to be punÂishÂment right? Hard to drum up an symÂpaÂthy for anyÂone gripÂing about it. EspeÂcialÂly if those perÂsons were not incarÂcerÂatÂed at AlcaÂtraz at the time when this menu was used. PlenÂty of law abidÂing citÂiÂzens would deal with a lot for a guarÂanÂteed roof over their heads and someÂthing to eat on a regÂuÂlar basis even if it isn’t four star cuiÂsine.
I also agree with Red.
GoobersÂgirl, prison is supÂposed to be about rehaÂbilÂiÂtaÂtion, not punÂishÂment.
Red, GoobersÂgirl — ObviÂousÂly neiÂther of you have done time. ChopÂperÂgirl nailed it when she menÂtioned the TV. You have to put up with idiots who conÂstantÂly watch WWF wrestling, JerÂry Springer, realÂiÂty shows, and even worse — prison docÂuÂmenÂtaries. Hell, I wantÂed to forÂget I was in there. And they always have the volÂume up loud.
For the record, I was in the MuhÂlenÂberg Co, DetenÂtion CenÂter in Greenville KY (July-DecemÂber 2012). The state sends Class‑D felons to local jails for the duraÂtion. I was sent from Louisville MetÂroÂpolÂiÂtan CorÂrecÂtions where the food is horÂrenÂdousÂly worse. I bet ChopÂperÂgirl knows what a “zabo” is. (look it up in an Urban DicÂtioÂnary).
More proof — I was the only guy in that jail with an engiÂneerÂing degree. I was bored, but they did let me use a calÂcuÂlaÂtor — so I did what I could. From the cenÂter of the east wall of the MCDC in Greenville, look North 69°41’16’East, 11.45 miles. You can see the cenÂter of the 3 powÂer plant stacks that the TVA built after they razed ParÂadise, KY as in “where ParÂadise lay” (see John Prine).
James, you’re livÂing in a dream world. There are only cerÂtain places in this world where prison is rehab. The NetherÂlands, for examÂple. The US sysÂtem is a Penal sysÂtem. Penal, by defÂiÂnÂiÂtion, means punÂishÂment.
In my youth, I made the misÂtake of thinkÂing no court would conÂvict me of someÂthing I didÂn’t do, and endÂed up in what amountÂed to counÂty jail in Ponce, PuerÂto Rico, my homeÂtown.
NeedÂless to say, incarÂcerÂaÂtion is NOT about rehaÂbilÂiÂtaÂtion-recidiÂvism rates tesÂtiÂfy to that being BS. In fact, many inmates repeatÂedÂly comÂmitÂted petÂty crimes for a roof over their heads and three square meals daiÂly.
For a time, one parÂticÂuÂlar cook we had did all he could to make our meals palatÂable, if not downÂright tasty, but he lastÂed all of nine months and gruÂel ruled again, in the form of rice and beans for lunch and dinÂner-with occaÂsionÂal pieces of chickÂen or pork from the prison farm and cream of wheat for breakÂfast. That’s every day. Every day. FamÂiÂlies did what they could to help smugÂgle in spices and the like. EnterÂprisÂing inmates smugÂgled in betÂter vegÂetaÂbles from time to time, but mostÂly, it was dreaÂry and disÂheartÂenÂing.
I made peace with almost everyÂone. It’s imposÂsiÂble to get over extreme ignoÂrance, though, and it’s a mirÂaÂcle I got out alive.
That said, I think everyÂone should be required to spend a year in jail-as a form of raisÂing our social conÂsciences. I susÂpect fewÂer peoÂple would treat all inmates with disÂdain and probÂaÂbly more peoÂple would strive to stay out.
Thank God you made it back home, right? UnforÂtuÂnateÂly, here in the U.S., incarÂcerÂaÂtioÂnis all about two major corÂpoÂraÂtions makÂing big bucks off of a lot of peoÂple they allow to rot and starve. Here’s hopÂing someÂone wakes up to the fact that it’s time to stop needÂless wars and incarÂcerÂaÂtion and conÂcenÂtrate on givÂing peoÂple the eduÂcaÂtion and powÂer to become the creaÂtures God intendÂed them to be.
If everyÂone had to do at least a year. The powÂers that be would make them into a counÂtry club.
Huh. Same type of menu-items they used to feed us in the milÂiÂtary; I was always amused when they’d list condiÂments as one of the things served for that parÂticÂuÂlar meal.
iv’e been to prison 40 times
What i do know is all the monies givÂen to prisÂons for food is stolen by whoÂevÂer takes in the monÂey and the prisÂonÂers get half of what they are realÂly supÂposed to get. Like they are supÂposed to get 2 hot dogs and 2 rolls or 2 slices of bread but instead they get only one..and so on. So the prisÂonÂers are always hunÂgry. Some prisÂons actuÂalÂly have good cooks and some don’t same as restauÂrants. They are lucky when they get an ItalÂian cook..lol
What? No bologna sandÂwichÂes.