Alcatraz

We had a lovely early morning trip to Alcatraz.  The island has some great views of the mainland and the island itself looks beautiful and lush in the sunshine - a far cry from what it would have looked like in the past.  We walked into the 'recreation area' and saw this empty doorway at the far end.  The view through the door was beautiful and I wondered how it made the prisoners feel if they ever caught glimpses of the mainland or of ships sailing past etc. - it's almost teasing them with something they cannot have.  I wonder if seeing a glimpse of the outside world would have made some inmates think twice about re-offending or if it would have wound them up in desparation to get off the island that they just misbehaved even more.  Who knows.