🔗 Share this article What to Expect Sarkozy in the La Santé Facility and What Belongings Did He Bring? Perhaps the nation's most notorious jail, the La Santé prison – where former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has begun a five-year incarceration for criminal conspiracy to obtain election financing from Libya – remains the only remaining prison inside the Paris city limits. Situated in the south part of Montparnasse area of the city, it opened in 1867 and was the site of at least 40 executions, the last in 1972. Partly closed for renovation in 2014, the prison reopened five years later and holds over 1,100 detainees. Famous ex- prisoners comprise the poet Guillaume Apollinaire, the rogue trader Jérôme Kerviel, the civil servant and Nazi collaborator Maurice Papon, the entrepreneur and political figure Bernard Tapie, the militant from the seventies Carlos the Jackal, and talent scout Jean-Luc Brunel. Special Treatment for Notable Prisoners Notable or endangered detainees are typically placed in the jail’s QB4 unit for “protected persons” – the dubbed “VIP quarters” – in individual cells, rather than the standard three-inmate rooms, and isolated during outdoor activities for safety concerns. Positioned on the ground floor, the ward has nineteen similar cells and a dedicated exercise yard so prisoners are not required to mix with other detainees – while they remain exposed to shouts, insults and smartphone photos from nearby cells. Mainly for that reason, Sarkozy is expected to be placed in the solitary confinement unit, which is in a isolated area. In reality, circumstances are very similar as in QB4: the ex-president will be by himself in his cell and escorted by a prison officer whenever he exits. “The aim is to avert any problems at all, so we need to stop him from coming into contact with other prisoners,” an insider stated. “The simplest and best solution is to assign Nicolas Sarkozy straight to solitary confinement.” Accommodation Details Both isolation and protected units are similar to those in other parts in the jail, averaging approximately 10 square meters, with window blinds created to limit interaction, a sleeping cot, a compact desk, a shower, toilet, and landline telephone with pre-set numbers. Sarkozy will be served standard meals but will additionally have access to the canteen, where he can buy items to prepare himself, as well as to a small solitary outdoor space, a gym and the library. He can lease a cooling unit for seven euros fifty a month and a TV for €14.15. Limited Social Contact Apart from three allowed visits a each week, he will mainly be by himself – a luxury in the prison, which despite its recent renovation is operating at approximately twice its planned occupancy of 657 prisoners. France’s prisons are the third most overcrowded in the EU bloc. Prison Supplies Sarkozy, who has repeatedly maintained his non-guilt, has said he will be bringing with him a life story of Jesus Christ and a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas, in which an wrongly accused individual is condemned to prison but flees to seek vengeance. Sarkozy’s legal counsel, Jean-Michel Darrois, said he was also bringing noise blockers because prison can be loud at during the night, and several sweaters, because cells can be cold. Sarkozy has stated he is fearless of being in jail and aims to make use of the period to write a publication. Possible Early Release It remains uncertain, nevertheless, for how long he will actually remain in the facility: his lawyers have already filed for his early release, and an judge on appeal will need to demonstrate a potential of escaping, repeat offenses or witness-tampering to warrant his continued detention. France's legal experts have proposed he might be released within a month.