How To Escape From Alcatraz In 10 Easy Steps

9. Survey The Prison And Hatch A Plan

The second stage of getting out of Alcatraz was to survey the prison and look for flaws and potential weaknesses in its design. One of the men involved in the breakout, West, had a job as a prison maintenance man. This job gave him the perfect opportunity to see and observe parts of the prison that were off limits to standard prisoners.

As part of his job, he often found himself up on ladders to paint and this high vantage point gave him an excellent view of the prisons service shaft and the ventilation system which led up to the roof. He reported his findings back to the others and together they plotted to escape Alcatraz by climbing the service shaft and leaving the cell block via the roof.

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Recent History graduate living in Newcastle. I like to travel and experience new things, my favourite place on earth has got to be the Great Barrier Reef. To date my greatest achievements include completing the National Pokedex and mastering how to make cheesy nachos.