Collecting the Materials
Alcatraz at that time was not just a prison but also a factory, which was great luck for the group. The inmates worked as part of their sentence giving them access to the materials at hand. And there were a lot of them, because Alcatraz worked for the US military making furniture, clothing and shoes.
The four-man team had another advantage, they were non-violent offenders, something which was extremely rare in Alcatraz. This gave them the advantage of slightly less scrutiny from the guards which allowed them more freedom to operate.
The Props
The team started putting their plan into action bit by bit. It was complicated, and some would even say ingenious. They were not only going to escape the virtual fortress of Alcatraz, they were going to make look-alike dummies to leave in their place.
Getting out of the prison was not enough, the gang also had to find a way to get off the island and avoid the guards. The guards back them did not have the same compassion as today, their orders were to shoot on sight and any escape attempt was a deadly gamble.