Photo gallery commemorates 50th anniversary of closing of Alcatraz, once nation’s most secure prison

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A 48-photo gallery in the San Francisco Chronicle commemorates the 50th anniversary of the closing of Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary on March 21, 1963.

Once considered the nation's most secure prison, on an island surrounded by the waters of San Francisco Bay, it hosted some of the country's most notorious criminals including gangster Al Capone.

The island is now considered a historic site, on which the National Park Service recently restored graffiti put on a landmark water tower during a prison protest. A National Park Service page provides information about visiting.

Related coverage:

ABA Journal: "March 21, 1963"

ABAJournal.com: "Alcatraz Visit: Feel Like a Prisoner"