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Maybe the nation's most fabled jail, La Santé – where former French president Nicolas Sarkozy is now serving a five year prison sentence for illegal conspiracy to solicit political donations from Libya – stands as the last remaining prison within the French capital's boundaries.

Situated in the south part of Montparnasse neighborhood of the capital, it first opened in the year 1867 and was the scene of no fewer than 40 capital punishments, the last in 1972. Partially closed for refurbishment in 2014, the facility resumed operations in 2019 and houses over 1,100 detainees.

Famous former prisoners include the poet Guillaume Apollinaire, the unauthorized trader Jérôme Kerviel, the civil servant and Nazi collaborator Maurice Papon, the businessman and political figure Bernard Tapie, the 70s terrorist Carlos the Jackal, and modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel.

VIP Quarters for Prominent Inmates

Prominent or vulnerable detainees are typically accommodated in the prison's QB4 unit for “protected persons” – the dubbed “VIP section” – in individual cells, rather than the standard three-person units, and kept alone during yard time for safety concerns.

Situated on the first floor, the ward has 19 identical units and a dedicated recreation area so prisoners are not required to mingle with other detainees – even though they are still exposed to whistles, jeers and cellphone pictures from adjacent cells.

Primarily for that reason, Sarkozy is expected to be placed in the isolation ward, which is in a distinct block. In reality, the environment are very similar as in the QB4 ward: the ex-president will be solitary in his unit and accompanied by a corrections officer each time he leaves it.

“The objective is to prevent any problems at all, so we must block him from meeting other prisoners,” a source within the facility stated. “The easiest and most efficient method is to assign Nicolas Sarkozy directly to segregation.”

Living Quarters

Each of the solitary and VIP rooms are similar to those elsewhere in the prison, roughly around eleven square meters, with window blinds intended to restrict contact, a bed, a small desk, a shower unit, WC, and stationary phone with pre-set numbers.

Sarkozy will receive typical prison food but will also have access to the canteen, where he can buy items to make his own meals, as well as to a individual outdoor space, a fitness room and the library. He can rent a cooling unit for seven euros fifty a month and a television set for 14.15 euros.

Controlled Interactions

Besides three allowed visits a each week, he will mainly be alone – a privilege in the prison, which notwithstanding its recent upgrades is running at approximately double its designed capacity of 657 prisoners. France’s jails are the third most congested in the EU.

Personal Belongings

Sarkozy, who has repeatedly maintained his innocence, has stated he will be carrying with him a account of Jesus Christ and a edition of The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas, in which an wrongly accused individual is sentenced to jail but flees to get retribution.

Sarkozy’s attorney, Jean-Michel Darrois, noted he was also bringing hearing protection because prison can be noisy at nighttime, and a few jumpers, because rooms can be cold. Sarkozy has commented he is not scared of being in prison and plans to use it to author a manuscript.

Uncertain Duration

It is unclear, however, for how long he will in fact be housed in La Santé: his legal team have already filed for his conditional release, and an judge on appeal will have to prove a chance of escaping, repeat offenses or interfering with witnesses to justify his ongoing incarceration.

France's jurists have suggested he could be out within a month.