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Possibly France’s most fabled jail, the La Santé prison – in which ex-president of France Nicolas Sarkozy has begun a five-year jail term for illegal conspiracy to solicit election financing from the Libyan government – remains the last remaining prison inside the Paris city limits.

Situated in the south part of Montparnasse district of the capital, it first opened in the year 1867 and was the site of no fewer than 40 death penalties, the most recent in 1972. Partially shut down for upgrades in 2014, the facility reopened in 2019 and accommodates more than 1,100 inmates.

Well-known ex- inmates include 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.

Special Treatment for Prominent Inmates

High-profile or at-risk inmates are generally placed in the prison's QB4 unit for “vulnerable people” – the dubbed “premium block” – in single cells, rather than the standard three-person rooms, and isolated during outdoor activities for protection purposes.

Located on the initial level, the ward has 19 identical units and a reserved outdoor space so prisoners are not obliged to mingle with other detainees – while they are still vulnerable to shouts, jeers and smartphone photos from nearby cells.

Primarily for such concerns, Sarkozy is set to be housed in the segregated section, which is in a separate wing. Practically, circumstances are much the same as in QB4: the former president will be solitary in his room and supervised by a prison officer each time he goes out.

“The goal is to prevent any problems whatsoever, so we must stop him from encountering other prisoners,” a prison source revealed. “The simplest and most effective approach is to send Nicolas Sarkozy immediately to isolation.”

Living Quarters

Each of the isolation and VIP units are similar to those in other parts in the institution, roughly about 10 square meters, with window blinds designed to restrict communication, a bed, a compact desk, a shower, toilet, and landline telephone with pre-set numbers.

Sarkozy is provided with standard meals but will additionally have access to the commissary, where he can purchase groceries to cook for himself, as well as to a small solitary outdoor space, a exercise room and the book collection. He can lease a fridge for €7.50 a month and a TV for 14.15 euros.

Controlled Interactions

Besides three authorized meetings a week, he will mainly be alone – a luxury in the facility, which in spite of its modernization is operating at roughly twice its planned occupancy of 657 prisoners. France’s jails are the third most congested in the EU.

Prison Supplies

Sarkozy, who has consistently protested his non-guilt, has said he will be carrying with him a biography of Jesus Christ and a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo, by the author Alexandre Dumas, in which an innocent man is sentenced to prison but flees to seek vengeance.

Sarkozy’s attorney, Jean-Michel Darrois, noted he was also bringing noise blockers because prison can be disruptive at night, and several sweaters, because cells can be cool. Sarkozy has commented he is fearless of serving time in prison and aims to make use of the period to write a manuscript.

Uncertain Duration

It remains uncertain, though, for how long he will actually stay in the prison: his lawyers have submitted for his conditional release, and an judge on appeal will have to prove a risk of absconding, further crimes or influencing testimony to warrant his ongoing incarceration.

France's legal experts have indicated he might be released before a month passes.