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Maybe the nation's most fabled correctional facility, the La Santé prison – where ex-president of France Nicolas Sarkozy has started a five year incarceration for illegal conspiracy to obtain political donations from the Libyan government – is the only remaining prison inside the Paris city limits.

Situated in the southern Montparnasse neighborhood of the capital, it was inaugurated in the year 1867 and was the site of no fewer than 40 death penalties, the final one in 1972. Partially shut down for renovation in 2014, the prison resumed operations five years later and houses in excess of 1,100 inmates.

Renowned past detainees encompass poet Guillaume Apollinaire, the financial trader Jérôme Kerviel, the government official and Nazi collaborator Maurice Papon, the businessman and politician Bernard Tapie, the terrorist from the 1970s Carlos the Jackal, and talent scout Jean-Luc Brunel.

VIP Quarters for High-Profile Prisoners

Prominent or endangered prisoners are typically placed in the prison's QB4 section for “individuals at risk” – the so-called “VIP quarters” – in individual cells, not the typical triple-occupancy cells, and separated during yard time for protection purposes.

Situated on the ground floor, the ward has nineteen similar units and a reserved exercise yard so detainees are not forced to mix with other detainees – although they continue to be exposed to whistles, taunts and cellphone pictures from adjacent cells.

Mostly for that reason, Sarkozy will reportedly be held in the solitary confinement unit, which is in a distinct block. Actually, conditions are largely identical as in the QB4 ward: the ex-president will be by himself in his unit and accompanied by a prison officer every time he leaves it.

“The aim is to prevent any issues at all, so we need to stop him from coming into contact with fellow detainees,” an insider revealed. “The simplest and best solution is to assign Nicolas Sarkozy straight to solitary confinement.”

Cell Conditions

Each of the solitary and protected rooms are the same to those elsewhere in the prison, measuring around 10 square meters, with window blinds created to restrict interaction, a sleeping cot, a small desk, a shower unit, toilet, and landline telephone with pre-recorded numbers.

Sarkozy will be served standard meals but will additionally have the option to the canteen, where he can purchase items to cook for himself, as well as to a individual exercise yard, a gym and the book collection. He can rent a cooling unit for €7.50 a month and a television for €14.15.

Restricted Visits

Apart from three allowed visits a each week, he will mainly be on his own – a luxury in the facility, which despite its recent renovation is running at roughly double its planned occupancy of 657 detainees. The country's correctional facilities are the third most overcrowded in the European Union.

Items Brought

Sarkozy, who has repeatedly protested his non-guilt, has stated he will be taking with him a account of Jesus and a version of The Count of Monte Cristo, by the author Alexandre Dumas, in which an falsely convicted person is condemned to jail but breaks out to take revenge.

Sarkozy’s legal counsel, Jean-Michel Darrois, mentioned he was also packing noise blockers because the jail can be disruptive at during the night, and a few jumpers, because rooms can be cool. Sarkozy has stated he is fearless of spending time in jail and aims to use it to compose a book.

Possible Early Release

It remains uncertain, nevertheless, how long he will really stay in La Santé: his lawyers have already filed for his conditional release, and an judge on appeal will must establish a risk of escaping, repeat offenses or influencing testimony to warrant his further imprisonment.

France's legal experts have indicated he may be freed before a month passes.