George B. “Machine Gun” Kelly (AZ-117), Alcatraz Warden's Notebook Page
The Rock: Has any other prison embedded itself in American pop culture like Alcatraz? 1,576 prisoners were housed on the notorious island during its time as a federal penitentiary. These loose-leaf pages of the Warden's Notebook Pages, 1934-1963, contain basic information about an inmate’s criminal record and prison time, including a mugshot. Inmates #1–900 are fully screened and open to the public. Additional inmate records are screened and digitized on demand. Pages for 789 inmates are digitized and available online. Many of the inmates included are well-known figures; for example:
- Al Capone, AZ-85
- Arthur “Doc” Barker, AZ-268
- Alvin ”Creepy Karpis” Karpavicz, AZ-325
- Robert Stroud, “The Birdman of Alcatraz,” AZ-564
Here we have the page for notorious American gangster George B. "Machine Gun" Kelly who was incarcerated at Alcatraz from 1934-1951.
George B. “Machine Gun” Kelly (AZ-117), Alcatraz Warden's Notebook Page. National Archives Identifier: 236734340.
The National Archives at San Francisco also has case files for Alcatraz inmates. These files were assembled in the mid-1970s as a special collection in a nationwide effort by the Bureau of Prison’s Office of Research. Included are files created by other federal prisons where Alcatraz inmates served time, either before or after their incarceration at Alcatraz, as well as central office Bureau of Prisons/Board of Parole files.
You can explore more records held in the National Archives at San Francisco by searching our online Catalog or by visiting our research room in person. We encourage researchers to contact us to learn more about our holdings or to schedule an appointment.