The Food At San Francisco Bay's Iconic Alcatraz Prison Was So Tasty Even The Guards Loved It

If you can name even one prison, it's probably Alcatraz (no, Azkhaban doesn't count). Located on a rocky island off the coast of San Francisco, California, it's still used as a byword for an ultra-secure prison, reputed as being impossible to escape. (Getting in is a different matter entirely, as evident by the actions of Nicolas Cage and Sean Connery in Michael Bay's 1996 documentary, "The Rock.") Having hosted notorious criminals like Al Capone and Whitey Bulger, you might think it must have been a pretty miserable place — and it was, mostly, but there were some unexpected perks inmates might not have found elsewhere. For instance, the food served in the mess hall was weirdly good.

That might come as a surprise. After all, prison conditions and prisoner treatment have long been at the center of much debate; a hundred years ago, it must have been downright medieval, right? It's likely not a shock to hear that Martha Stewart thought prison food was terrible, but the issue of poor food quality or availability has even been the cause of several riots over the years. But in the case of Alcatraz, those running the operation took a different tack. Reasoning that most of the discipline problems in prison were caused by anger over bad food, the warden of Alcatraz, James A. Johnston, saw to it that his prisoners received the best food in the American prison system; in fact, it was good enough that the guards ate it, too. The practice would probably be derided as inappropriate in some circles today, but it worked: There were very few riots during mealtime throughout Alcatraz's history.

So, what did the inmates at Alcatraz tuck into during their brief reprieves from the drudgery of prison life? Well, an average breakfast menu is currently displayed on the board in the prison today, as seen above: scrambled eggs, dry cereal, toast, coffee, things of that nature. Maybe it wouldn't be fancy French scrambled eggs, but they were still pretty good. Menus rotated over the course of the week, as well. For lunch one day, prisoners might eat roast beef with gravy and mashed potatoes, while another day they might enjoy some beef pot pie.

Dinner was similarly robust, with inmates able to enjoy menu items like hot dogs, meatloaf, or spaghetti and meatballs, just to name a few. Granted, this was still a prison. It was far from a nice place to be, and the guards still had to carefully check all cutlery to make sure nothing was taken for use as a weapon. But at a time when prisons are treated as a place for endless punishment rather than rehabilitation, it's a reminder that, yes, prisons do need better food. If the hardened inmates of Alcatraz took to good food without causing trouble, there is no reason why low-level offenders should suffer through food that's barely a step above gruel.