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Possibly France’s most notorious prison, the La Santé prison – in which former French president Nicolas Sarkozy is now serving a five year incarceration for unlawful collusion to raise campaign funds from the Libyan government – is the sole surviving prison inside the city of Paris.

Found in the south part of Montparnasse district of the city, it opened in the year 1867 and was the site of no fewer than 40 executions, the final one in 1972. Partly closed for renovation in 2014, the facility resumed operations five years later and accommodates more than 1,100 detainees.

Renowned past prisoners include poet Guillaume Apollinaire, the financial trader Jérôme Kerviel, the public servant and collaborator with the Nazis Maurice Papon, the entrepreneur and political figure Bernard Tapie, the 70s terrorist Carlos the Jackal, and talent scout Jean-Luc Brunel.

Protected Wing for High-Profile Prisoners

Prominent or vulnerable detainees are typically accommodated in the prison's QB4 unit for “individuals at risk” – the dubbed “VIP quarters” – in single cells, not the typical triple-occupancy units, and kept alone during yard time for security reasons.

Positioned on the initial level, the section has 19 identical cells and a private outdoor space so inmates are not obliged to mingle with fellow inmates – even though they remain exposed to whistles, jeers and smartphone photos from adjacent cells.

Primarily for such concerns, Sarkozy is expected to be placed in the solitary confinement unit, which is in a distinct block. In reality, circumstances are very similar as in the protected unit: the ex-president will be by himself in his room and escorted by a prison officer each time he exits.

“The goal is to avoid any incidents at all, so we have to stop him from coming into contact with other prisoners,” a prison source revealed. “The easiest and most efficient solution is to assign Nicolas Sarkozy straight to segregation.”

Living Quarters

Each of the isolation and VIP units are similar to those elsewhere in the institution, measuring approximately 10 sq metres, with window blinds created to reduce communication, a bed, a small desk, a shower unit, toilet, and fixed-line phone with pre-recorded numbers.

Sarkozy will receive regular meals but will also have access to the prison store, where he can purchase food to prepare himself, as well as to a individual recreation area, a exercise room and the library. He can rent a cooling unit for €7.50 a monthly and a TV for fourteen euros fifteen.

Restricted Visits

Apart from three permitted visits a week, he will primarily be by himself – a luxury in the facility, which despite its recent renovation is functioning at approximately double its planned occupancy of 657 prisoners. France’s jails are the third most packed in the EU.

Items Brought

Sarkozy, who has steadfastly maintained his non-guilt, has said he will be taking with him a biography of Jesus Christ and a version of The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas, in which an falsely convicted person is given a sentence to jail but flees to get retribution.

Sarkozy’s legal counsel, Jean-Michel Darrois, said he was also bringing earplugs because the facility can be loud at night, and several sweaters, because rooms can be chilly. Sarkozy has commented he is not scared of spending time in jail and aims to make use of the period to author a publication.

Release Prospects

The duration is unknown, however, the length of time he will actually be housed in the facility: his lawyers have already filed for his early release, and an appeals judge will must establish a risk of flight, further crimes or influencing testimony to justify his continued detention.

French law specialists have suggested he could be out in less than a month.