Poor Prospects
The operation's goal was simple enough—to leave Alcatraz—but carrying it out without a hitch was another ballgame. A concerted group effort over a protracted time frame would be required. Many had tried before, and the statistics didn't look promising; none of the prior escapees had succeeded. Two people drowned, five possibly drowned, six were fatally shot, and 23 were arrested and sent back to prison out of the estimated 36 who attempted to escape.