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Possibly France’s most notorious correctional facility, the La Santé prison – in which ex-president of France Nicolas Sarkozy has begun a five-year jail term for illegal conspiracy to raise political donations from Libya – is the only remaining prison inside the French capital's boundaries.

Found in the south part of Montparnasse district of the capital, it was inaugurated in the year 1867 and was the scene of at least 40 capital punishments, the most recent in 1972. Partly shut down for upgrades in 2014, the facility resumed operations half a decade later and accommodates over 1,100 detainees.

Well-known past detainees include the poet Guillaume Apollinaire, the financial trader Jérôme Kerviel, the civil servant and Nazi collaborator Maurice Papon, the tycoon and politician Bernard Tapie, the militant from the seventies Carlos the Jackal, and talent scout Jean-Luc Brunel.

Special Treatment for Notable Prisoners

Notable or vulnerable detainees are generally accommodated in the jail’s QB4 ward for “protected persons” – the dubbed “VIP quarters” – in solitary cells, rather than the usual three-inmate units, and kept alone during yard time for safety concerns.

Situated on the ground floor, the unit has nineteen similar units and a private recreation area so prisoners are not forced to interact with fellow inmates – although they continue to be exposed to whistles, jeers and smartphone photos from adjacent cells.

Mostly for such concerns, Sarkozy is expected to be placed in the segregated section, which is in a separate wing. Actually, the environment are largely identical as in the QB4 ward: the past leader will be alone in his room and supervised by a prison officer whenever he goes out.

“The goal is to avert any problems whatsoever, so we have to prevent him from coming into contact with any inmates,” a prison source revealed. “The most straightforward and best method is to send Nicolas Sarkozy immediately to solitary confinement.”

Cell Conditions

Both solitary and VIP cells are identical to those elsewhere in the prison, averaging approximately 10 square meters, with coverings on windows intended to restrict interaction, a bed, a compact desk, a shower, WC, and landline telephone with authorized contacts only.

Sarkozy will receive typical prison food but will also have the option to the prison store, where he can buy food to make his own meals, as well as to a private exercise yard, a gym and the book collection. He can lease a fridge for seven euros fifty a per month and a TV for €14.15.

Restricted Visits

Apart from three permitted visits a each week, he will mainly be on his own – an advantage in the facility, which in spite of its modernization is functioning at about double its designed capacity of 657 inmates. France’s prisons are the third most congested in the EU bloc.

Prison Supplies

Sarkozy, who has consistently maintained his innocence, has said he will be taking 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 sentenced to jail but flees to seek vengeance.

Sarkozy’s attorney, Jean-Michel Darrois, said he was additionally packing hearing protection because prison can be noisy at nighttime, and multiple sweaters, because rooms can be chilly. Sarkozy has stated he is fearless of serving time in prison and aims to make use of the period to compose a manuscript.

Possible Early Release

It remains uncertain, though, the length of time he will actually remain in the facility: his legal team have lodged for his premature release, and an appeals judge will must establish a chance of escaping, reoffending or interfering with witnesses to justify his further imprisonment.

France's legal experts have indicated he could be out before a month passes.