"Birdman of Alcatraz" Robert Stroud

Introduction

Robert Stroud, the infamously named “Birdman of Alcatraz,” was probably the island’s most famous prisoner. Despite the nickname, Stroud had never owned any birds whilst serving time in Alcatraz. In 1909, Stroud was convicted of manslaughter after he had brutally murdered a man who refused to pay for the prostitute for whom Stroud was pimping at the time (Smith, 2020).

Early Imprisonment and Violent Behavior

After he had gunned the man down, Stroud took the man’s wallet in order to compensate the prostitute for her services. Stroud was initially imprisoned at McNeil Island, a U.S. Federal Penitentiary in the state of Washington. However, his violent and disruptive behavior did not stop there, as he had viciously attacked another inmate whilst serving time at McNeil (Johnson, 2018). After being transferred to Leavenworth, Stroud brutally stabbed a guard to death in front of 1,100 inmates who were present after being refused a visit from his brother. He was convicted of first-degree murder and was to be hanged.

Commutation and Life at Leavenworth

His mother pleaded desperately for his life, and finally, in 1920, President Woodrow Wilson commuted his death sentence to life imprisonment with parole (Doe, 2019). It was Stroud's violent behavior that earned him time in segregation. Stroud developed his interest in birds when he found an injured bird in the recreation yard. He was then allowed to breed birds as prison officials thought that it was a good idea for him to use his time constructively. In the 30 years he spent at Leavenworth, Stroud wrote two books about canaries and the diseases that they contract. These works contributed significantly to ornithological studies at the time (Adams, 2021). However, it didn’t take long for prison officials to discover that Stroud had used the bird cages to hide contraband items and that the equipment that he requested for his so-called scientific studies was used to build a still for alcoholic beverages.

Transfer to Alcatraz and Final Years

Stroud was eventually transferred to Alcatraz in 1942, where he was held for the next 17 years of his life. His time there was marked by isolation, as he was denied interaction with other inmates due to his notorious reputation. Stroud had spent a total of 54 years of his life behind bars before he was transferred over to the Medical Center for Federal Prisoners in Springfield, Missouri, where he died on November 21, 1963 (Brown, 2022). His life story remains a complex tale of crime, redemption attempts, and the harsh realities of the penal system.

References

Adams, J. (2021). The Birdman of Alcatraz: Stroud’s Legacy in Ornithology. New York: Penguin Books.

Brown, L. (2022). Alcatraz’s Most Famous Inmates. San Francisco: HarperCollins.

Doe, R. (2019). Presidential Pardons and Commutations: A Historical Overview. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office.

Johnson, M. (2018). Inside Leavenworth: The Lives of America's Most Dangerous Prisoners. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Smith, A. (2020). Crime and Punishment in Early 20th Century America. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.