Prison de la Santé
La Santé Prison (surrounded by high-rise buildings)
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 Location in Paris
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| Location | Paris |
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| Coordinates | 48°50′02″N 2°20′23″E / 48.83389°N 2.33972°ECoordinates: 48°50′02″N 2°20′23″E / 48.83389°N 2.33972°E |
| Status | Operational |
| Capacity | 2,000 |
| Opened | 1867 |
| Managed by | Ministry of Justice |
| Street address | 42 Rue de la Santé, Montparnasse, 14th Arrondissement |
| City | Paris |
| Postal code | 75014 |
| Country | France |
| Notable prisoners | |
| Jacques Mesrine, Manuel Noriega | |
La Santé Prison (literally meaning Prison of the Health) (French: Maison d'arrêt de la Santé or Prison de la Santé) is a prison operated by the Ministry of Justice located in the east of the Montparnasse district of the 14th arrondissement in Paris, France at 42 Rue de la Santé. It is one of the most infamous prisons in France, with both VIP and high security wings.
Along with the Fleury-Mérogis Prison (Europe's largest prison) and the Fresnes Prison, both located in the southern suburbs, La Santé is one of the three main prisons of the Paris area.
The architect Joseph Auguste Émile Vaudremer built the prison, which was inaugurated on 20 August 1867.
The prison is located on the site of a former "Coal market" and replaced the Madelonnettes Convent in the 3rd Arrondissement which had been used as a prison since the Revolution . Previously, on the same site, was a "maison de la santé" (House of health), built on the orders' of Anne of Austria and transferred in 1651 to what is now the Sainte-Anne Hospital (in the south).
Initially, there were 500 cells which was increased to 1,000 in 1900 following the closure of the Paris Grande Roquette prison in 1899. The cells are 4 metres long, 2.5m wide and 3m high. The prison has a total capacity of up to 2,000 prisoners divided into 14 divisions.
In 1899, following the closure and demolition of the Grande Roquette prison the convicts were transferred to La Santé to await transfer to prison in Guyana or execution.
Executions were previously done at the entrance to the Grande Roquette so it was decided to do the same (or almost) at La Santé. The guillotine was erected at the corner of the Rue de la Santé and the Boulevard Arago on the pavement. The first execution - and the first in Paris for ten years - took place on 6 August 1909. It was that of a parricide called Georges Duchemin.
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Wikipedia