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Maybe the nation's most fabled prison, the La Santé prison – in which ex-president of France Nicolas Sarkozy has started a five-year jail term for illegal conspiracy to raise political donations from Libya – is the last remaining prison inside the French capital's boundaries.

Situated in the south part of Montparnasse neighborhood of the capital, it opened in the year 1867 and was the site of a minimum of 40 death penalties, the most recent in 1972. Partly closed for upgrades in 2014, the facility resumed operations five years later and houses over 1,100 prisoners.

Famous former detainees comprise the poet Guillaume Apollinaire, the rogue trader Jérôme Kerviel, the public servant and collaborator with the Nazis Maurice Papon, the tycoon and politician Bernard Tapie, the terrorist from the 1970s Carlos the Jackal, and talent scout Jean-Luc Brunel.

Special Treatment for Notable Prisoners

High-profile or at-risk prisoners are typically held in the jail’s QB4 ward for “individuals at risk” – the often called “VIP section” – in solitary cells, rather than the usual three-person cells, and separated during exercise periods for protection purposes.

Located on the initial level, the unit has 19 identical rooms and a reserved outdoor space so prisoners are not forced to interact with other detainees – while they remain exposed to shouts, insults and mobile snapshots from adjacent cells.

Primarily for such concerns, Sarkozy is expected to be placed in the isolation ward, which is in a isolated area. In reality, circumstances are largely identical as in QB4: the ex-president will be by himself in his cell and accompanied by a corrections officer every time he leaves it.

“The aim is to avoid any issues whatsoever, so we have to block him from encountering fellow detainees,” an insider stated. “The simplest and most effective solution is to send Nicolas Sarkozy directly to isolation.”

Cell Conditions

Both solitary and VIP cells are similar to those in other parts in the jail, averaging around eleven square meters, with coverings on windows intended to limit interaction, a sleeping cot, a writing table, a shower unit, WC, and stationary phone with pre-recorded numbers.

Sarkozy is provided with standard meals but will additionally have the option to the commissary, where he can buy items to prepare himself, as well as to a small solitary recreation area, a gym and the book collection. He can pay for a refrigerator for 7.50 euros a month and a television set for €14.15.

Restricted Visits

Besides three permitted visits a per week, he will primarily be on his own – a privilege in the facility, which in spite of its recent upgrades is running at about twice its planned occupancy of 657 detainees. The country's jails are the third most packed in the EU.

Prison Supplies

Sarkozy, who has steadfastly asserted his non-guilt, has stated he will be bringing with him a biography of Jesus and a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas, in which an falsely convicted person is condemned to jail but breaks out to get retribution.

Sarkozy’s lawyer, Jean-Michel Darrois, noted he was also taking noise blockers because the jail can be loud at during the night, and several sweaters, because units can be chilly. Sarkozy has commented he is fearless of spending time in prison and aims to utilize the time to write a publication.

Possible Early Release

It remains uncertain, nevertheless, the length of time he will really remain in the prison: his legal team have already filed for his premature release, and an appeals judge will need to demonstrate a risk of escaping, reoffending or witness-tampering to justify his ongoing incarceration.

France's law specialists have indicated he may be freed within a month.