What Awaits Sarkozy in La Santé Prison and What Belongings Has He Taken?
Perhaps the nation's most fabled jail, the La Santé prison – where ex-president of France Nicolas Sarkozy is now serving a five year jail term for criminal conspiracy to raise election financing from Libya – remains the only remaining prison inside the Paris city limits.
Found in the southern Montparnasse area of the city, it opened in 1867 and hosted of a minimum of 40 executions, the most recent in 1972. Partially closed for refurbishment in 2014, the prison resumed operations five years later and holds over 1,100 prisoners.
Renowned past prisoners encompass the poet Guillaume Apollinaire, the rogue trader Jérôme Kerviel, the government official and wartime collaborator Maurice Papon, the businessman and political figure Bernard Tapie, the 70s terrorist Carlos the Jackal, and model agent Jean-Luc Brunel.
Special Treatment for High-Profile Inmates
Notable or at-risk detainees are usually accommodated in the prison's QB4 unit for “vulnerable people” – the so-called “VIP section” – in single cells, not the usual three-inmate cells, and kept alone during outdoor activities for protection purposes.
Situated on the initial level, the unit has a set of uniform cells and a dedicated exercise yard so detainees are not forced to interact with other prisoners – while they remain subject to shouts, taunts and smartphone photos from nearby cells.
Primarily for that reason, Sarkozy is set to be housed in the segregated section, which is in a separate wing. In reality, conditions are largely identical as in the protected unit: the former president will be by himself in his room and escorted by a corrections officer every time he leaves it.
“The goal is to avoid any incidents at all, so we have to block him from meeting any inmates,” a prison source stated. “The easiest and most efficient approach is to send Nicolas Sarkozy immediately to isolation.”
Cell Conditions
Each of the isolation and VIP units are identical to those in other parts in the jail, roughly approximately 10 square meters, with window coverings created to limit contact, a bed, a small desk, a shower unit, lavatory, and fixed-line phone with pre-recorded numbers.
Sarkozy will receive typical prison food but will also have the option to the prison store, where he can purchase food to prepare himself, as well as to a small solitary outdoor space, a exercise room and the prison library. He can lease a cooling unit for seven euros fifty a monthly and a television for 14.15 euros.
Controlled Interactions
In addition to three permitted visits a week, he will mainly be alone – a luxury in La Santé, which despite its recent upgrades is running at approximately double its intended capacity of 657 inmates. France’s jails are the third most packed in the EU.
Prison Supplies
Sarkozy, who has steadfastly maintained his innocence, has declared he will be carrying with him a life story of Jesus and a edition of The Count of Monte Cristo, by the author Alexandre Dumas, in which an falsely convicted person is given a sentence to jail but escapes to seek vengeance.
Sarkozy’s legal counsel, Jean-Michel Darrois, mentioned he was also packing earplugs because the jail can be loud at during the night, and several sweaters, because rooms can be cool. Sarkozy has said he is unafraid of spending time in jail and aims to utilize the time to compose a book.
Possible Early Release
It is unclear, though, the length of time he will actually stay in the prison: his legal team have lodged for his early release, and an judge on appeal will need to demonstrate a chance of flight, repeat offenses or witness-tampering to validate his continued detention.
France's law specialists have proposed he might be released in less than a month.
