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Possibly the nation's most notorious correctional facility, the La Santé prison – where ex-president of France Nicolas Sarkozy is now serving a five year incarceration for illegal conspiracy to obtain election financing from the Libyan government – is the last remaining prison inside the city of Paris.

Located in the south part of Montparnasse neighborhood of the city, it was inaugurated in 1867 and was the scene of no fewer than 40 death penalties, the last in 1972. Partially closed for refurbishment in 2014, the institution reopened five years later and accommodates more than 1,100 detainees.

Well-known former inmates include poet Guillaume Apollinaire, the rogue trader Jérôme Kerviel, the civil servant and wartime collaborator Maurice Papon, the businessman and political figure Bernard Tapie, the terrorist from the 1970s Carlos the Jackal, and modeling agent Jean-Luc Brunel.

Special Treatment for Prominent Inmates

High-profile or vulnerable inmates are generally held in the prison's QB4 unit for “individuals at risk” – the often called “VIP quarters” – in single cells, not the standard three-inmate rooms, and isolated during outdoor activities for safety concerns.

Positioned on the initial level, the ward has 19 identical rooms and a reserved recreation area so inmates are not forced to mingle with other detainees – although they continue to be exposed to whistles, jeers and cellphone pictures from nearby cells.

Mostly for such concerns, Sarkozy will reportedly be held in the isolation ward, which is in a distinct block. In reality, the environment are largely identical as in the QB4 ward: the former president will be alone in his room and accompanied by a guard every time he leaves it.

“The goal is to avert any problems at all, so we need to block him from meeting other prisoners,” a source within the facility commented. “The most straightforward and most efficient solution is to send Nicolas Sarkozy immediately to isolation.”

Living Quarters

Each of the isolation and protected rooms are similar to those in other parts in the jail, roughly around 10 sq metres, with window coverings intended to reduce interaction, a bed, a compact desk, a shower unit, WC, and fixed-line phone with authorized contacts only.

Sarkozy will receive typical prison food but will also have the option to the canteen, where he can buy food to prepare himself, as well as to a individual exercise yard, a gym and the book collection. He can lease a refrigerator for 7.50 euros a month and a TV for €14.15.

Restricted Visits

In addition to three permitted visits a week, he will mostly be alone – a luxury in the facility, which in spite of its modernization is running at approximately double its intended capacity of 657 prisoners. The country's jails are the third most congested in the EU bloc.

Prison Supplies

Sarkozy, who has consistently maintained his innocence, has stated he will be bringing with him a account of Jesus Christ and a copy of The Count of Monte Cristo, by the author Alexandre Dumas, in which an falsely convicted person is given a sentence to prison but breaks out to get retribution.

Sarkozy’s lawyer, Jean-Michel Darrois, noted he was additionally packing hearing protection because the jail can be loud at night, and multiple sweaters, because units can be chilly. Sarkozy has commented he is unafraid of being in jail and intends to use it to author a manuscript.

Uncertain Duration

It is unclear, though, how long he will actually remain in the facility: his lawyers have already filed for his premature release, and an appeals judge will have to prove a risk of flight, further crimes or interfering with witnesses to validate his further imprisonment.

French legal experts have indicated he might be released within a month.