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Possibly the nation's most fabled prison, La Santé – where former French president Nicolas Sarkozy has begun a five year prison sentence for criminal conspiracy to solicit political donations from Libya – is the sole surviving prison inside the French capital's boundaries.

Located in the south part of Montparnasse district of the city, it was inaugurated in the year 1867 and was the scene of no fewer than 40 capital punishments, the most recent in 1972. Partially closed for renovation in 2014, the prison resumed operations five years later and holds in excess of 1,100 inmates.

Famous past detainees encompass the poet Guillaume Apollinaire, the rogue trader Jérôme Kerviel, the civil servant and wartime collaborator Maurice Papon, the entrepreneur and political figure Bernard Tapie, the 70s terrorist Carlos the Jackal, and talent scout Jean-Luc Brunel.

Special Treatment for High-Profile Prisoners

High-profile or vulnerable prisoners are generally accommodated in the prison's QB4 section for “protected persons” – the so-called “premium block” – in single cells, rather than the standard three-inmate cells, and separated during yard time for protection purposes.

Positioned on the ground floor, the unit has nineteen similar rooms and a private recreation area so prisoners are not required to mingle with fellow inmates – although they are still vulnerable to shouts, jeers and cellphone pictures from neighboring units.

Mostly for such concerns, Sarkozy is set to be housed in the isolation ward, which is in a separate wing. In reality, conditions are very similar as in the QB4 ward: the ex-president will be solitary in his unit and accompanied by a corrections officer whenever he leaves it.

“The objective is to avoid any issues whatsoever, so we have to stop him from coming into contact with other prisoners,” a prison source revealed. “The simplest and most effective solution is to assign Nicolas Sarkozy immediately to isolation.”

Living Quarters

Each of the solitary and protected rooms are the same to those elsewhere in the institution, roughly about 10 square meters, with window coverings intended to reduce communication, a sleeping cot, a compact desk, a shower unit, lavatory, and landline telephone with authorized contacts only.

Sarkozy will receive standard meals but will additionally have access to the prison store, where he can acquire groceries to prepare himself, as well as to a small solitary recreation area, a exercise room and the book collection. He can rent a cooling unit for €7.50 a per month and a TV for 14.15 euros.

Controlled Interactions

Besides three authorized meetings a per week, he will mostly be on his own – an advantage in the prison, which despite its recent upgrades is operating at roughly twice its planned occupancy of 657 detainees. France’s prisons are the third most overcrowded in the EU.

Items Brought

Sarkozy, who has steadfastly protested his non-guilt, has declared he will be taking with him a life story of Jesus Christ and a edition of The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas, in which an innocent man is sentenced to prison but flees to take revenge.

Sarkozy’s lawyer, Jean-Michel Darrois, mentioned he was also packing hearing protection because the facility can be disruptive at nighttime, and a few jumpers, because cells can be cold. Sarkozy has commented he is not scared of serving time in jail and plans to make use of the period to write a manuscript.

Possible Early Release

It remains uncertain, nevertheless, the length of time he will really be housed in the prison: his lawyers have lodged for his conditional release, and an reviewing judge will need to demonstrate a potential of escaping, further crimes or interfering with witnesses to justify his continued detention.

French jurists have proposed he may be freed before a month passes.