lating
             dangerous criminals from the general public. Roosevelt supported this revolutionary idea, and swiftly approved the project. attorney general cummings, then began preparations for locating a suitable site for this prison of "supermaximum security".
             Shortly after his search began, cummings discovered that alcatraz island, which had previously been used by the war department as a military fort and prison, was not being fully utilized.
             in 1934, an informal transfer of alcatraz island from the war department, to the department of justice, was completed and preparations were continued for the occupation of the island and the establishment of a prison.
             If alcatraz was to be a place of storage for hundreds of men it would have to be thoroughly remodeled. the older buildings of the military prison would be restored, and additional areas would be added. it was the job of alcatraz's first warden, James A. johnston, to supervise the addition of the necessary features, and to make it "escape proof." johnston began the remodeling enterprise by installing communication devices such as short wave radio and telephones, which would allow the guards and other personal to communicate around the island, and it also enabled them to communicate with the mainland. these security features would also prove to be useful in the future to prevent against riots. searchlight towers and floodlights were also added to the old army prison to prepare for the future influx of prisoners. tear gas outlets were installed in the ceiling of the dinning hall, and at the main entrance of the administration building. Ideally, the prisoners would not have had sufficient access to enough materials within their cells to create a successful riot. Therefore, it was not necessary to install tear gas outlets in the individual cells of the prison.
             The next security feature that was added to alcatraz penitentiary was the hiring of ...