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On the 21st of March 1963, the most infamous maximum security prison in America, Alcatraz,

shut down.

So today, we're taking you back to the curious case of the three inmates who managed to

successfully escape the jail.

The story involves a homemade raft, Papier Mache, and spoons.

In 2013, Ashley Burns spoke to Jolene Babiak, who lived on the island as a teenager.

Sitting on a 12-acre rock marooned in the middle of the bay of San Francisco, just a short

boat ride from the bright lights of the city, Alcatraz was one of the most notorious

prisons in the world.

It was the prison no one could escape from.

For 30 years at one time or another, it housed more than 1,500 of America's toughest criminals.

Many were sentenced to spend the rest of their lives here.

They couldn't be sent anywhere else, they were considered either too violent, too influential

in the underworld, or simply too expert at escaping.

But 51 years ago, three men did manage to escape.

In June 1962, 60 staff families lived in the shadow of the prison, along with 75 children.

One of them was Jolene Babiak, who was 15 at the time.

Her father had just become acting governor of the jail and was in charge on the night

of the breakout.

It was a very balmy night, and we were out playing softball.

So we broke up the softball game about 9 o'clock, and I went inside to watch television.

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