What Lies Ahead the Former President in La Santé Prison and What Belongings Did He Bring?

Perhaps the nation's most notorious correctional facility, La Santé – in which former French president Nicolas Sarkozy is now serving a five year incarceration for unlawful collusion to solicit political donations from Libya – stands as the only remaining prison inside the Paris city limits.

Located in the south part of Montparnasse area of the city, it was inaugurated in 1867 and was the scene of at least 40 capital punishments, the most recent in 1972. Partially shut down for refurbishment in 2014, the prison resumed operations in 2019 and holds in excess of 1,100 detainees.

Famous ex- prisoners include the poet Guillaume Apollinaire, the rogue trader Jérôme Kerviel, the civil servant and wartime collaborator Maurice Papon, the tycoon and political figure Bernard Tapie, the terrorist from the 1970s Carlos the Jackal, and modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel.

Protected Wing for High-Profile Prisoners

Notable or vulnerable inmates are generally held in the jail’s QB4 section for “protected persons” – the often called “VIP quarters” – in solitary cells, rather than the usual three-person units, and kept alone during yard time for security reasons.

Located on the initial level, the unit has a set of uniform rooms and a private outdoor space so prisoners are not obliged to mix with other detainees – while they remain exposed to shouts, jeers and smartphone photos from neighboring units.

Mostly for this reason, Sarkozy is set to be housed in the isolation ward, which is in a isolated area. Practically, circumstances are largely identical as in the QB4 ward: the ex-president will be solitary in his cell and supervised by a prison officer whenever he leaves it.

“The goal is to prevent any incidents whatsoever, so we have to stop him from meeting other prisoners,” a prison source stated. “The simplest and most efficient approach is to place Nicolas Sarkozy directly to segregation.”

Accommodation Details

Both isolation and protected rooms are identical to those in other parts in the institution, roughly approximately 10 square meters, with window blinds created to restrict interaction, a sleeping cot, a writing table, a shower, WC, and stationary phone with pre-recorded numbers.

Sarkozy will receive regular meals but will additionally have the option to the commissary, where he can acquire items to prepare himself, as well as to a small solitary outdoor space, a fitness room and the prison library. He can rent a cooling unit for seven euros fifty a monthly and a television set for fourteen euros fifteen.

Limited Social Contact

Apart from three allowed visits a each week, he will mainly be by himself – a privilege in the facility, which notwithstanding its recent renovation is operating at about twice its designed capacity of 657 prisoners. France’s correctional facilities are the third most overcrowded in the EU bloc.

Prison Supplies

Sarkozy, who has repeatedly asserted his innocence, has declared he will be taking with him a account of Jesus and a version of The Count of Monte Cristo, by the author Alexandre Dumas, in which an wrongly accused individual is given a sentence to jail but flees to get retribution.

Sarkozy’s legal counsel, Jean-Michel Darrois, noted he was additionally bringing hearing protection because the jail can be disruptive at night, and multiple sweaters, because rooms can be cool. Sarkozy has said he is not scared of being in jail and plans to utilize the time to write a manuscript.

Release Prospects

The duration is unknown, nevertheless, for how long he will actually remain in the prison: his attorneys have submitted for his premature release, and an reviewing judge will must establish a chance of flight, reoffending or witness-tampering to validate his ongoing incarceration.

France's legal experts have proposed he could be out in less than a month.