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Alcatraz Alcatraz was a United States federal prison built on an island in San Francisco Bay to house the most incorrigible and heinous prisoners in the federal penitentiary system. Alcatraz was opened in 1934, and remained in operation until 1963, when it was closed as a cost-cutting measure. During that time, the prison housed a total of 1,545 inmates, with an average of about 260 at any one time. In all, 36 prisoners tried to escape, of which 22 were recaptured, 7 were shot and killed, 2 drowned, and 5 were left unaccounted for. Currently, Alcatraz is a popular San Francisco tourist attraction, drawing many visitors who arrive by boat and take a tour of what has become America's most notorious prison. Web:
Corrections Professionals Working in a prison or jail is a difficult job, and most people, even your relatives and friends, will never really understand what your job is like. But if you have Net access, there are lots of ways to keep in touch with other corrections professionals and related organizations. These Web sites are for professionals working in the field, and provide information about events, careers, news, legal happenings, and so on. There are also online newsletters as well as chat rooms where you can talk to other people. Web:
Crime Library If you are interested in researching evil deeds and foul play, it would be a crime for you to miss this spot. There are long, thoughtful, well-researched articles on famous gangsters, serial killers, assassins, terrorists and other naughty people. I find these stories fascinating, and I bet you will too. Visit when you have time to stay for a while. Web: Crime Magazine Okay, you know about the crimes, but do you know the gossip behind the crimes? If you like nothing better than to sink your intellectual teeth into a good story about gangsters, serial killers, sex crimes or murderers, you've come to the right place. Lots of good clean fun. What better way to spend quality time with your family? Web: Crime News Are you a crime buff? Well, buff right over to these comprehensive crime-oriented Web sites, where you'll find lots of info on safety, serial killers, currently wanted criminals, major unsolved cases, as well as the latest headlines and articles. Web:
Crime Statistics Here are some interesting statistics about the population of the United States. At the end of 1980, there were 1,840,400 adults in prison, in jail, on probation, or on parole. By the end of 2000 (the latest year for which I could get statistics), this number had increased by 351% to 6,467,200. It's interesting to talk about numbers, but these figures represent real people in real communities. There are a lot more crime-related statistics on the Internet, and if you have an interest in this area, there is a lot for you to think about. Web:
Crime Talk and General Discussion If you are interested in talking about crime, there are several discussion groups just for you. For crime buffs, the alt.crime group discusses all types of miscellaneous topics, while alt.true-crime is for talking about famous crimes. If you are a law enforcement professional, you may want to participate in the bail-enforce group (professional bail enforcement) or the criminology group. Usenet:
Death Row In the United States, the method of putting criminals to death varies from state to state. Overall, there are five different methods that are used: the electric chair, lethal injection, gas chamber, firing squad and hanging. Traditionally, "death row" is the name given to the part of the prison that houses inmates who are scheduled for execution. The death penalty and how it is applied are issues of great debate everywhere. Regardless of how you feel about the death penalty, it's interesting to look at some of the facts and figures. These Web sites have a lot of interesting information, but they did leave one of my questions unanswered. You know that before the doctor gives you an injection, he wipes your skin with an alcohol swab to clean off the germs. I wonder, when somebody is about to be executed by lethal injection, does the person administering the injection clean the person's skin with an alcohol swab? Web:
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Electric Chair In the late 1880s, the electric chair was developed in order to execute criminals more humanely than by hanging. On August 6, 1890, the first person was put to death using this new technology. Since then, the electric chair has earned a place in the annals of American culture. And now, here is a Web site devoted entirely to this wonderful invention. Learn about the electric chair, its history, botched electrocutions, women in the electric chair, crimes, prisons, serial killers, and other methods of carrying out the death penalty. Web:
Famous Murderers What do Jack the Ripper, Theodore Kaczynski (the Unabomber), Charles Manson, Timothy McVeigh, Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer and O.J. Simpson all have in common? They all worked hard to rise to the top of their profession, and they all have information available about them on the Internet. Web:
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FBI's Ten Most Wanted Fugitives Perhaps the most famous thing about the FBI (the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation) is its Ten Most Wanted Fugitives program. Starting in 1949, the FBI has published a list of the ten men and women it would most like to apprehend. Since then, more than 476 people (7 of whom were women) have had the honor of making the list. Except for 29 of these people, everyone on the list has been located (or dropped from the list), about 30 percent because a member of the public saw a familiar face on the list. Do you have some questionable friends? If you manage to turn in an actual fugitive, you could get rewarded with some big bucks. Web:
Gangs There are youth gangs in virtually all large cities, and many towns, in the United States, Canada and Europe. At one time, it was thought that gangs were the result of children being raised in poverty. However, today, you will find gangs even in relatively affluent areas. Most gang members, of which 5 to 10 percent are girls, come from homes that have been broken by divorce, separation, abuse, or a dysfunctional parent. Most such children don't join gangs, but they are at risk. When some type of crisis happens in the child's life and there is no strong adult to whom the child can turn, he or she will sometimes join a gang. Joining a gang gives a child a lot more than a new "family". Gang membership eases the pain, anger and isolation felt by a teenager with nowhere else to turn. Would you like to understand gangs and see how you can help? Are you worried about your own kids? Start here. Web:
Law Search If you are a police officer, this is a resource you will want to visit. There is a large database of police-related Web sites, which you can search to find just what you need. There are also handy online utilities, such as an accident calculator and a U.S. Social Security number state lookup. Web: Mafia Whatever else you say about the Mafia, at least you have to admit they understand the importance of Family Values. If you want to learn even more about this collection of underground criminal societies, here are some good places to start. Although movies and TV often glorify gangsters, in real life they are highly unpleasant evil people, definitely not cool. Web:
Mug Shots When a person is arrested for a crime, a photograph, called a "mug shot", is taken as part of the booking procedure. I find it comforting to look at mug shots and think about how nice it is that I don't actually know any of these people in person. For some reason, there are very few criminals with pleasant-looking faces. Then there are the mug shots of famous people who, in one way or another, have managed to get themselves arrested. People such as Frank Sinatra (looking young and skinny), Hugh Grant (not up to his usual charm), Nick Nolte (see what drugs can do), Jesse Jackson (staring at you with scary eyes), Larry King (obsessive-looking and scary), Michael Jackson (surreal), Martin Luther King Jr. (an historic photo), Pee-Wee Herman (you have to see this one to believe it), and Kobe Bryant ("I can't believe it's really happening"). The most well-known such photo is that of Bill Gates, who was arrested in New Mexico for a traffic infraction on December 13, 1977, a month and a half after his 22nd birthday. (Bill was born on October 28, 1955.) He is wearing tinted glasses and has unruly, long hair and an impish grin. I bet he can't wait for his kids to learn how to use the Internet. Web:
Police Brutality Police brutality and abuse of power are more or less built into our society. As human beings, we need the police. We ask them to take constant risks and protect us against evil, crazy, dangerous (often well-armed) people, who don't have to follow the rules. But police are human, so who watches the police? These resources deal with the problems of police abuse, offering a variety of useful and interesting information. If you are a policeman, take a few moments and explore this information. If you are a civilian with a problem, you will find information to help. Web:
Police Scanners Ever wonder what the police are talking about (when they're not cooping)? These Web sites feature live police transmissions from New York, Los Angeles and Dallas, as well as a variety of other live broadcasts, such as fire departments and air traffic controllers. To help you understand the slang, you can display a helpful list of the codes used on the radio. (In Los Angeles, for example, a "code 7" is a meal break.) Web:
Prison Life There are three types of people who will be interested in these resources: people who are currently in prison; people who are about to go to prison; and people who would like to find out what life is like in prison. Web:
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Prison Penpals Believe it or not, there are a lot of prisoners who have access to the Net, directly or through the help of others. These Web sites contain pages created by (or for) inmates, as well as names, addresses and biographical information about inmates who would like pen pals. Warning: When you read the biographies -- written by the prisoners themselves -- they all sound like nice, normal people who didn't do anything wrong. Obviously, this is usually not the case. If you decide to write to an inmate, be careful. Web:
Serial Killers Serial killers are people who commit one murder after another, often following the same pattern. Here are some common characteristics shared by many such killers. Serial killers tend to be white heterosexual males in their twenties and thirties. They are loners with low self-esteem, subject to methodical rampages that are sexually motivated and sadistic. They enjoy returning to grave sites and crime scenes to fantasize. While growing up, their family life was violent, they tortured animals and were chronic bed-wetters. As adults, serial killers enjoy setting fires, have brain damage and are addicted to alcohol or drugs. If this reminds you of anyone you know, be careful. At the very least, don't give the person money or anything valuable (such as your only copy of a Harley Hahn book). Web:
Sex Offender Registries In the United States, people who have been convicted of committing certain types of crimes are required to register with their local police departments as sex offenders. The details vary from one jurisdiction to another, but basically, the police are not allowed to notify people when a registered sex offender moves into their neighborhood. However, people are allowed to go to the police station and check the official list to see which sex offenders live nearby. Some states post information online, others don't. Some cities have Web sites that show you a map of all the schools in the city and, when you click on a school, you are shown the locations of all the registered sex offenders in the vicinity. It's shocking how many there are. Check out your neighborhood. Web:
Stalking Stalking occurs when an obsessive person becomes completely and utterly focused on another individual. You have probably heard about high profile cases when the stalking victim is a celebrity. However, most victims are regular people, and the crime is a lot more common than you might think. If you have a stalking problem of your own, here is information that may help guide you toward a satisfactory resolution. Web:
Terrorism The term "terrorism" is derived from the Reign of Terror (1793-1794), a period during the French Revolution when thousands of people were executed. In modern times, terrorism is much more widespread and involves the illegal use of force for political or ideological reasons. Although politicians like to talk about a "War on Terrorism", the global fight against terrorism is not nearly as straightforward as a conventional war. Who is the enemy? Who are our allies? How do we know when the "war" is won? People make their poorest decisions when they are scared and under pressure, and I see it happening now. We are all too quick to sacrifice our long-term judgment -- and our liberties -- because we are scared. With so much propaganda and censorship in the air, how can we understand what is really happening in order to make up our own minds? How do we decide what are the best actions to take in the long run? Although we will hear about terrorism on TV and read about it in the newspapers, there is a lot more going on than the news media is telling us. Web:
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Unsolved Crimes and Fugitives Mystery, intrigue, adventure. If you have ever read any Sherlock Holmes stories, you may have wondered how you would be at solving mysteries. Well, here are some real-life mysteries waiting for you on the Net. These Web sites contain a lot of information describing unsolved crimes and criminal fugitives. Remember, as Sherlock Holmes once said, "It is of the highest importance in the art of detection to be able to recognize, out of a number of facts, which are incidental and which vital. Otherwise your energy and attention must be dissipated instead of being concentrated." Make sure you always do your research on the Net before setting out to find the criminal, and, one day, you too may be a famous fictional character. Web:
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