Alcatraz is about messaging and symbolism, not any practical purpose. We already have a highly developed and funded prison industrial complex with very effective supermax prisons that prevent escape. Alcatraz was notorious for its cruelty, though I’m pretty sure it was the last location of a “successful” supermax escape in the US. Alcatraz was shit down for a reason, and it wasn’t due to any humanitarian concerns. This old man is just reliving his childhood tales of danger and daring that he grew up with while sending a message of cruelty and disregard for humanity at the same time.