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Maybe France’s most legendary correctional facility, the La Santé prison – in which former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has begun a five-year prison sentence for illegal conspiracy to obtain election financing from Libya – stands as the only remaining prison inside the French capital's boundaries.

Situated in the south part of Montparnasse district of the city, it was inaugurated in the year 1867 and hosted of at least 40 capital punishments, the most recent in 1972. Partially closed for upgrades in 2014, the facility resumed operations in 2019 and accommodates in excess of 1,100 inmates.

Renowned ex- prisoners encompass the poet Guillaume Apollinaire, the rogue trader Jérôme Kerviel, the civil servant and Nazi collaborator Maurice Papon, the tycoon and politician Bernard Tapie, the 70s terrorist Carlos the Jackal, and modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel.

Protected Wing for Prominent Prisoners

High-profile or endangered prisoners are typically placed in the jail’s QB4 section for “individuals at risk” – the often called “VIP section” – in individual cells, not the usual three-inmate rooms, and isolated during exercise periods for protection purposes.

Positioned on the initial level, the ward has a set of uniform rooms and a reserved outdoor space so prisoners are not forced to interact with other detainees – even though they are still exposed to whistles, insults and smartphone photos from adjacent cells.

Mostly for this reason, Sarkozy will reportedly be held in the solitary confinement unit, which is in a isolated area. In reality, the environment are largely identical as in QB4: the former president will be by himself in his room and supervised by a corrections officer each time he leaves it.

“The objective is to prevent any incidents whatsoever, so we need to block him from encountering any inmates,” a source within the facility commented. “The simplest and most efficient method is to place Nicolas Sarkozy straight to segregation.”

Accommodation Details

Each of the solitary and VIP rooms are the same to those elsewhere in the institution, roughly around eleven square meters, with window coverings designed to limit communication, a sleeping cot, a small desk, a shower, WC, and landline telephone with pre-recorded numbers.

Sarkozy will receive regular meals but will additionally have the option to the canteen, where he can purchase items to make his own meals, as well as to a private outdoor space, a gym and the prison library. He can lease a refrigerator for 7.50 euros a monthly and a TV for 14.15 euros.

Controlled Interactions

In addition to three permitted visits a week, he will primarily be on his own – a privilege in the prison, which notwithstanding its modernization is running at approximately double its designed capacity of 657 detainees. France’s jails are the third most congested in the European Union.

Prison Supplies

Sarkozy, who has repeatedly protested his non-guilt, has stated he will be bringing with him a biography of Jesus and a edition of The Count of Monte Cristo, by the author Alexandre Dumas, in which an innocent man is condemned to prison but flees to take revenge.

Sarkozy’s lawyer, Jean-Michel Darrois, said he was also taking noise blockers because the jail can be noisy at during the night, and multiple sweaters, because units can be cold. Sarkozy has stated he is fearless of spending time in prison and intends to make use of the period to write a manuscript.

Uncertain Duration

The duration is unknown, however, how long he will actually be housed in the facility: his legal team have submitted for his early release, and an appeals judge will need to demonstrate a potential of flight, reoffending or witness-tampering to validate his continued detention.

French jurists have suggested he might be released before a month passes.