Washington’s Alcatraz

McNeil Island Correctional Center was a prison unlike almost any other, sitting on a remote island where prisoners, prison workers, and their families all lived side by side. Opened in 1875 before Washington even became a state, it eventually housed infamous prisoners like Charles Manson and Robert “Birdman of Alcatraz” Stroud. After 136 years, the prison closed in 2011, leaving behind an eerie abandoned community surrounded by forests, wildlife, and more than a century of dark history.

References

Bunn, S. (2023, May 31). The complex legacy of Washington’s mysterious island prison. The Spectator. https://seattlespectator.com/2023/05/31/the-complex-legacy-of-washingtons-mysterious-island-prison/

Federal Bureau of Prisons. (n.d.). Historical information. U.S. Department of Justice. https://www.bop.gov/about/history/

Washington State Department of Corrections. (n.d.). McNeil Island history. https://doc.wa.gov/mcneil-island-history

Washington State Historical Society. (n.d.). Unlocking McNeil’s past. https://www.washingtonhistory.org/exhibit/unlocking-mcneils-past/

McNeil Island Corrections Center. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved August 8, 2026, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McNeil_Island_Corrections_Center