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Possibly France’s most legendary prison, La Santé – in which ex-president of France Nicolas Sarkozy is now serving a five year jail term for illegal conspiracy to obtain political donations from the Libyan government – remains the only remaining prison within the Paris city limits.

Found in the southern Montparnasse district of the capital, it was inaugurated in the year 1867 and was the site of a minimum of 40 capital punishments, the last in 1972. Partly shut down for renovation in 2014, the institution reopened in 2019 and houses more than 1,100 detainees.

Well-known ex- inmates comprise the poet Guillaume Apollinaire, the unauthorized trader Jérôme Kerviel, the civil servant and collaborator with the Nazis Maurice Papon, the tycoon and political figure Bernard Tapie, the 70s terrorist Carlos the Jackal, and talent scout Jean-Luc Brunel.

Protected Wing for Prominent Prisoners

Notable or endangered inmates are usually held in the jail’s QB4 ward for “protected persons” – the dubbed “premium block” – in single cells, rather than the usual three-person cells, and separated during yard time for security reasons.

Positioned on the ground floor, the unit has 19 identical rooms and a private outdoor space so prisoners are not required to mingle with fellow inmates – even though they remain subject to shouts, taunts and smartphone photos from neighboring units.

Primarily for this reason, Sarkozy is expected to be placed in the segregated section, which is in a distinct block. Practically, the environment are much the same as in the QB4 ward: the past leader will be alone in his cell and supervised by a prison officer whenever he goes out.

“The objective is to avoid any issues whatsoever, so we have to stop him from encountering other prisoners,” a source within the facility revealed. “The easiest and most effective approach is to assign Nicolas Sarkozy immediately to isolation.”

Accommodation Details

Both isolation and VIP cells are the same to those in other parts in the prison, averaging approximately 10 sq metres, with coverings on windows designed to reduce contact, a sleeping cot, a compact desk, a shower, toilet, and landline telephone with pre-recorded numbers.

Sarkozy is provided with typical prison food but will also have access to the prison store, where he can purchase groceries to prepare himself, as well as to a private recreation area, a fitness room and the prison library. He can lease a refrigerator for €7.50 a month and a TV for €14.15.

Restricted Visits

Apart from three permitted visits a each week, he will primarily be on his own – a luxury in the facility, which notwithstanding its recent upgrades is running at roughly twice its designed capacity of 657 inmates. The country's correctional facilities are the third most packed in the EU.

Personal Belongings

Sarkozy, who has repeatedly maintained his non-guilt, has stated he will be taking with him a life story of Jesus and a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas, in which an falsely convicted person is given a sentence to jail but breaks out to get retribution.

Sarkozy’s attorney, Jean-Michel Darrois, said he was additionally taking noise blockers because the jail can be noisy at nighttime, and several sweaters, because units can be cold. Sarkozy has commented he is not scared of serving time in jail and aims to utilize the time to compose a book.

Possible Early Release

It remains uncertain, nevertheless, how long he will actually be housed in La Santé: his lawyers have submitted for his premature release, and an reviewing judge will have to prove a risk of absconding, reoffending or interfering with witnesses to justify his further imprisonment.

French law specialists have proposed he may be freed within a month.