"The biggest myth is that Alcatraz was depicted as a horrific prison. The vast number of inmates I interviewed state it was likely the best. It was clean, had good food, and although small, a private cell was something to be cherished.... It was a harsh prison, though. The views and sense of a bustling city just outside their windows made it a painful reminder of all things lost."
–Michael Esslinger, author of "Alcatraz: A Definitive History of the Penitentiary Years"
(Check out the full interview here.)
