Alcatraz. The Rock. It’s a name that carries a heavy, cold weight. We’ve all seen the movies where Clint Eastwood stares out at the San Francisco fog, planning the impossible. But Hollywood aside, there’s a real, breathing history here that's rapidly fading. As we move into 2026, the window of time to hear from the men who actually lived behind those bars is nearly shut.
Most people assume everyone who ever stepped foot in an Alcatraz cell is long gone. Honestly? That’s not quite true. While the "celebrity" gangsters like Al Capone or the "Birdman" Robert Stroud are obviously deceased, a tiny handful of former inmates are still around to tell the tale.
Alcatraz Prisoners Still Alive: The Reality of 2026
When Alcatraz closed its heavy steel doors on March 21, 1963, the final 27 inmates were rowed off the island. They weren't disappearing into the ether; they were just being transferred to other federal prisons. Because many of these men were relatively young—in their 20s or 30s—a few have managed to reach their late 80s or 90s.
One name that pops up frequently in recent years is Charlie Hopkins. He’s a former Golden Gloves boxer who was sent to the Rock in 1952. If you talk to him, or catch one of his rare interviews, he doesn’t romanticize the place. He’s been quoted saying that "a rat couldn't survive" there. Hopkins is a living link to a world of carjackings and robbery rings that feels like a black-and-white movie, yet he’s still here.
Then you have guys like Bill Baker (AZ 1259). For years, Baker was a fixture at the Alcatraz gift shop, signing copies of his memoir Alcatraz-1259. He was a frequent sight for tourists, a living piece of history in a baseball cap. However, as the years have ticked by, these public appearances have become incredibly rare.
It’s a weird paradox. These men were once "Public Enemy Number One" types, and now they’re grandfathers and great-grandfathers whose primary struggle is with the passage of time rather than the Bureau of Prisons.
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The 1962 Escape: Are They Living Among Us?
You can't talk about alcatraz prisoners still alive without addressing the elephant in the room. Or rather, the three men who weren't in their rooms on the morning of June 12, 1962.
Frank Morris, John Anglin, and Clarence Anglin.
The FBI officially closed the case in 1979, concluding they likely drowned in the frigid, 10-knot currents of the Bay. But the U.S. Marshals? They never closed it. Their case file remains open, and it’s stay open until the men would have reached their 100th birthdays. For Frank Morris, born in 1926, that means the Marshals are technically looking for him until later this year.
The Brazil Connection
The Anglin family has consistently claimed the brothers survived. They point to a 1975 photograph allegedly showing the brothers on a farm in Brazil. Facial recognition experts have looked at the photo, and while the results are "highly likely" a match, it’s not a 100% legal confirmation.
There's also the 2013 letter sent to the San Francisco Police. It claimed to be from John Anglin. The writer said they all made it that night, "but barely." According to the letter, Frank died in 2008 and Clarence in 2011. The FBI's handwriting analysis was—predictably—inconclusive.
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If John Anglin is alive today, he’d be 95. Is it possible a nearly century-old fugitive is living out his days in a quiet South American town?
It’s possible. It’s also incredibly unlikely. But that "maybe" is what keeps the Alcatraz legend fueled.
The "Ordinary" Inmates Who Stayed Quiet
Not every man on the Rock was a mastermind or a mobster. Many were just career criminals who got caught one too many times.
The National Park Service occasionally hosts a "Formerly Incarcerated Speaker Series." It’s a fascinating, sobering look at life after the Rock. But even that list is changing. These days, the speakers are more often the children of guards or former inmates from other prisons talking about reform. The original "Alcatraz Alumni" are simply becoming too frail to travel or speak.
We have to face the fact that we are likely in the final five years of having any first-hand accounts of the federal penitentiary years. Once these men pass, the Rock becomes purely a museum—a collection of cold concrete and stories rather than a place with living witnesses.
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What This Means for History
It’s easy to look at Alcatraz as a tourist trap. You take the ferry, you buy the audio tour (which is excellent, by the way), and you look at the tiny cells. But knowing that there are still men walking around—maybe sitting in a park in Florida or a farm in Brazil—who remember the exact sound of those cell doors slamming? That changes the vibe.
It stops being a movie set and starts being a human story.
If you’re interested in the reality of these survivors, don't just watch the documentaries. Look into the memoirs written by the men themselves. These aren't polished PR pieces; they're gritty, often regretful, and deeply human accounts of what happens when you’re sent to the end of the line.
Actionable Steps for History Buffs:
- Visit the Official National Park Website: Check the schedule for the "Formerly Incarcerated Speaker Series" before you visit. While original Alcatraz inmates are rare, the perspectives of those who followed in the federal system are equally vital.
- Read the Source Material: Skip the sensationalist blogs. Find a copy of Alcatraz-1259 by Bill Baker or Hard Time by Charlie Hopkins.
- Check the U.S. Marshals "Wanted" Posters: They still update the age-progressed photos of Morris and the Anglins. Seeing what a 90-year-old Frank Morris might look like makes the mystery feel much more immediate.
- Support Prison Reform Organizations: Many former inmates, including those who spent time on the Rock, became advocates for better conditions and rehabilitation. Groups like CROP (Creating Restorative Opportunities and Programs) are often where these stories continue to live.
The clock is ticking on the living history of Alcatraz. Whether the escapees are hiding in the shadows or the last few "regulars" are living quiet lives in retirement, their stories are the last threads connecting us to the most famous prison in the world.