Alcatraz – the most dangerous prison in the United States. “The Rock,” as it was nicknamed, housed hundreds of America’s most dangerous criminals. At a glance it seems like an ordinary prison. Yet decades later, there is still a lingering question in the air concerning the reports of paranormal activity that supposedly occurred there. Did the infamous prison really close down due to budget cuts or is there some deep-rooted mystery there that caused its closure?
The recent television show, “Alcatraz,” has re-introducing this question. The show opens with the monologue, “On March 21, 1963, Alcatraz officially closed due to rising costs and because of the outdated facility. All the prisoners were transferred off the island. Only that’s not what happened. Not at all.”
In the TV series, set in 1963, all 336 prisoners and guards simply disappear one night without a trace. Now in 2012, the prisoners are returning and committing the same crimes. It is now the job of Emerson Hauser (Sam Neill), Rebecca Madsen (Sarah Jones) and Diego Soto (LOST’s Jorge Garcia) to put them back behind bars and uncover the mystery of their disappearance. The questions remains, why did these prisoners disappear and, more importantly, why are they coming back? The show adds great entertainment by incorporating the already mysterious prison with its own crime-solving twist.
It’s apparent that this series exaggerates the true identity of Alcatraz with an action-packed plot. In reality, Alcatraz is no more than a relic of American history. Or is it?

Alcatraz became more than just a prison when several reports of strange noises, smells and sights started. During the 1960’s reports came flooding in of abnormally cold temperatures in parts of the prison, sounds of a woman sobbing and the smell of smoke where nothing was burning. Even today, these reports still come in from tour guides.
Sure the TV show is a highly dramatized version of what actually occurred, but perhaps Alcatraz is more than meets the eye.