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On the third day a man in solitary receives the full dinner meal at noon, also the one quarter quantity, that is the light breakfast or cereal and milk and coffee and the light supper consisting of the salad and greens and bread and hot beverage, tea or coffee.

If an individual is continued in solitary past the third day, then the fourth day is the same as that prescribed as the second day, the fifth day the same, and the sixth day he gets a full meal again at dinner and the light breakfast and light supper, just the same as the third day.

Sometimes the menu is added to on the advice of the Chief Medical Officer, even during the earlier stages of incarceration in solitary or isolation. When a prisoner is removed from solitary and it is thought necessary to keep him in open isolation for a longer period of time, he begins his time in isolation with one full meal and two light meals each day. If he is continued in isolation for more than a week, he is given two full meals and one light meal daily. If it is decided to keep him in isolation for a long period of time, he is given three full meals a day, the same as the main line.

The inmates in solitary would also be provided with a water basin that was always kept full under the Warden’s orders. Many of the inmates who testified during the Young trial, including Harold Brest, George Miller, Samuel Berlin, Burton Phillips, James Grove and Harmon Waley, all stated that they had served stretches ranging from seven to ten days without proper meals, living strictly on small portions of bread and water.

Alcatraz inmate Harold Brest being led to court to testify against conditions at Alcatraz.

George Miller

Harmon Waley

Names etched into the masonry walls by inmates confined in the dungeon cells.

Mug shots of Alcatraz inmate Jack Allen.

Edward Bearden

The use of solitary confinement at Alcatraz was put on trial again in another incident that is described in the official digest from the Young trial testimony transcript. Inmate Samuel Berlin testified that on this occasion, inmate Jack Allen had rattled his cup along his cell bars to gain the attention of a correctional officer. When the officers arrived, he explained that he was sick and needed a doctor. Berlin claimed that Allen was reprimanded for making excessive noise, and that when he again started yelling for a doctor, he was thrown into the Hole. He was heard by other inmates pleading for blankets, and was allegedly found dead fifty-two hours later. A letter explaining his death, submitted by Chief Medical Officer Dr. George Hess to the United States Surgeon General, only seemed to complicate the matter further. Their correspondence was entered as evidence in the trial, and the defense attorneys systematically illustrated how inmate Allen had been abandoned, which was said to have contributed to his death. The letter written by Hess to the Surgeon General on January 23, 1936 proved extremely detrimental to the administration’s case. It read:

I have the honor to present a resume of the case of Jack Allen, No. 211, an inmate of this institution who died on January 17, 1936.

On January 13, 1936, the above inmate named man called for the doctor. Doctor Jacobsen was on duty and responded to the call. After an examination of the patient the doctor decided that there was no acute pathology present but did give the man some medicine. He then instructed the guard on duty not to call him anymore about this case, that the patient would be all right.

At midnight the guard was changed and the retiring guard informed the new guard that the doctor did not care to be bothered anymore for this case.

At about 1:00 A.M. January 14th, the patient created a noise by groaning and was placed in isolation so that he would not disturb the rest of the inmates.

The following morning at 8:00 A.M., I saw the patient in the cellhouse and immediately had him brought to the hospital. Shortly after