June 1962 Alcatraz escape attempt Alcatraz. John arrived on October 24, 1960, as inmate AZ1476, and Clarence on January 10, 1961, as inmate AZ1485. Allen Clayton West (March 25, 1929 – December 21, 1978) was born in New York City. He was imprisoned for car theft in 1955, first at Atlanta Penitentiary, then at Florida State Prison. After an unsuccessful escape attempt from the Florida facility, he was transferred to Alcatraz in 1957 and became inmate AZ1335. When West was transferred to Alcatraz, he was 28 years old, and had the education of an eighth grader. West was arrested over 20 times throughout his lifetime.
Joseph Giarratano at the federal appeals court level, but in "Murray v. Giarratano", the United States Supreme Court ruled that there is no Constitutional right to appointed counsel in state habeas proceedings, and that the rule applies equally to capital cases. Giarratano was involved in a 1984 escape attempt with seven other men from the Mecklenburg prison. Prison officials had an internal hearing and dealt with the men on an institutional basis. Giarratano was an advocate for fellow death row inmate Earl Washington Jr., and gained support for a "pro bono" defense of him, less than a month before his execution scheduled