Fleury-Mérogis Prison
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Fleury-Mérogis Prison (Maison d'arrêt de Fleury-Mérogis) is a prison in France, located in the town of Fleury-Mérogis, in the southern suburbs of Paris. With 3,800 prisoners, it is the largest prison in Europe.[1][2] It is operated by the Ministry of Justice.
Fleury-Mérogis is notorious as a leading center of Islamist radicalization in European prisons.[3][4]
History
Built between 1964 and 1968, the 180 hectare complex of Fleury-Mérogis comprises four entities:
- a large men's jail;
- a smaller women's jail;
- a juveniles' jail;
- Gendarmerie barracks.
The main prison is formed by a polygonal central building from which radiate five blocks, each one consisting of three wings with four levels of cells. Each block has a capacity of 900 prisoners.
Fleury-Mérogis is one of the three main prisons of the Paris area, the Fresnes Prison (the second largest in France) and the La Santé Prison (located in the centre of Paris) being the other two.
Characteristics
There is wire surrounding the top of the building, preventing helicopter and other possible escapes. The bottom of the building is enclosed with trash that the prisoners have thrown.[5]
Notable inmates
Some infamous past and present prisoners:
- Amedy Coulibaly, one of three perpetrators of the January 2015 Île-de-France attacks
- Jacques Mesrine, one of France's most notorious criminals
- Joëlle Aubron and Georges Cipriani (members of Action directe revolutionary group)
- Thierry Paulin
- Christine Deviers-Joncour (protagonist of the Elf scandal)
- Pascal Payet (still imprisoned)
- Zouzou (for recreational drug use)
- JoeyStarr (condemned for six months)
- Sinik (condemned four times)
- Chérif Kouachi and Djamel Beghal[6]
- Salah Abdeslam, connected to the planning of the November 2015 Paris attacks and the 2016 Brussels bombings
- Saad Lamjarred, accused of rape of a 20-year old woman.[7]
Notes
- ^ "Inside Europe's largest prison". BBC News. 18 March 2008.
- ^ "LE CENTRE PENITENTIAIRE, LA PLUS GRANDE PRISON D’EUROPE." Fleury-Mérogis. Retrieved on 6 May 2010.
- ^ Bisserbe, Noemie (31 July 2016). "European Prisons Fueling Spread of Islamic Radicalism". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
- ^ Bremner, Charles (23 August 2016). "Jihadists plot terror from French jail". Times of London. Retrieved 23 August 2016.
- ^ "Inside Europe's largest prison". Website. BBC NEWS. 18 March 2008. Retrieved 26 November 2013.
- ^ Chrisafis, Angelique (12 January 2015). "Charlie Hebdo attackers: born, raised and radicalised in Paris". The Guardian. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
- ^ "Saad Lamjarred to Appear in Court Next Friday".