Alcatraz_ A Definitive History of the Penitentiary Years - Michael Esslinger [234]
(4) We have issued a specific order that no inmate, or inmates, will he permitted in the basement of the Culinary unit unless under direct and constant supervision, and any time an employee takes inmates to that unit he must advise the Control Center first, indicating who he is taking. He must call the Control Center each fifteen minutes and must advise the Control Center as soon as he departs and secures the Kitchen basement area. This is, of course, to prevent an employee from being overpowered or otherwise incapacitated without someone being aware of it.
(5) We have issued an order that in order to protect all employees' families, in the event of escape, the gates on the Parade Ground near "B" Building will be secured during the hours of darkness and more specifically, from 5:40 p.m. until 8:10 a.m.
(6) All lieutenants have been instructed to issue specific and detailed instructions to any officer or group of officers that are designated to make searches or to check bar facilities, and then to make periodic checks to insure that they are being carried out as intended.
(7) Since we are in the process of phasing-out and have some thirteen custodial vacancies, at present we are not following our normal annual leave schedule, and are urging that those employees who do not need annual leave on an emergency basis cancel out any leave that may have been scheduled. We are not, of course, refusing leave to people who have already made specific plans or have sound reasoning for taking leave. With this arrangement we feel that additional coverage can be satisfactorily carried out without an enormous amount of overtime being paid.
Copies of reports of all employees concerned with this incident are attached, and a complete set of pictures of all specific items of interest are also attached. Copies are furnished for the inmate Bureau files and the institution inmate files. The FBI investigated this incident and reported their findings to the U. S. Attorney, who in turn presented the cases to the Grand Jury, who in turn indicted both inmates. It is expected they will be prosecuted for the escape in the early part of next year. Any further items that may develop in connection with this case will be reported promptly.
O.G. BLACKWELL
Warden
Warden Blackwell sent individual reports on the two escaped inmates to the Bureau of Prisons. The following is his memorandum on J. Paul Scott, dated December 17, 1962:
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT of JUSTICE
BUREAU OF PRISONS
UNITED STATES PENITENTARY
ALCATRAZ CALIFORNIA
December 17, 1962
MEMORANDUM FOR FILE
Re: Statement or Inmate JOHN PAUL SCOTT #1403-AZ
At approximately 11:00 p.m. Sunday, December 16, 1962 inmate SCOTT was returned from the emergency section of Letterman General Hospital by Associate Warden Williard and Business Manager Bones, and brought to the Warden's office for questioning.
During the questioning SCOTT talked fairly freely and made several pertinent statements. In sequence he claims that over a period of time, which he refused to define, he impregnated string with floor wax and scouring powder and used this to cut the bars in the south-end window on the east side of the kitchen basement. He further claims that he had the bars partially cut and filled in with soap and painted over so officers would not detect it, and on both Saturday, December 15th and Sunday, December 16th, the officers were tapping bars and broke the spreader bar cut loose to the extent that he attempted to glue it back to prevent further detection. He claims that on the spur of the moment he decided he had better "go" before the cutting