Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin revealed plans for a €400m high-security prison in French Guiana to house dangerous criminals, especially those involved in drug trafficking. The facility, designed to operate with strict security measures, hopes to cut off drug lords' connections with networks on the mainland.
France Plans to Construct High-Security Prison in Amazon for Drug Offenders
France Plans to Construct High-Security Prison in Amazon for Drug Offenders
The French government announces the establishment of a new high-security prison in French Guiana, aimed at curbing drug trafficking and organized crime.
France is set to embark on an ambitious project to build a high-security prison in its overseas territory of French Guiana, as part of a broader effort to combat organized crime and drug trafficking. The announcement came from Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin during his recent visit to the region, where he emphasized the need for a facility that would specifically target individuals involved in drug-related activities, including radical Islamists.
With an estimated budget of €400 million (£337 million), the facility will be constructed in the remote Amazon jungle area of Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, with projections for it to be operational by 2028. Darmanin stated that the prison is designed to address organized crime at every stage of the drug supply chain. It will have a capacity to accommodate up to 500 inmates, featuring a separate wing for the most dangerous offenders.
The motivation behind this new prison stems from a surge of violent incidents tied to criminal gangs in France, highlighting the government’s urgent necessity to bolster security within the prison system. The facility will implement an "extremely strict carceral regime" aimed at effectively incapacitating notorious drug traffickers, according to Darmanin.
By isolating high-level criminals in such a remote location, French authorities hope to disrupt their connections with criminal networks operating on the mainland. The isolation will make it significantly harder for drug lords to maintain communication with their associates. France has faced ongoing challenges with mobile contraband in its prisons, making the new prison a critical component of shifting the tide against organized crime.
This initiative is part of a wider range of legislative measures by the French government aimed at tackling organized crime. Recent legislation has enhanced the powers of investigators and established a special prosecutor's office dedicated entirely to dealing with such crimes, along with taking further steps to secure prisons against external influences.
The strategic positioning of the new prison in French Guiana is vital, as it has historically been a focal point for drug trafficking routes, particularly from Brazil and Suriname. In addition to its contemporary significance, the location carries historical weight, being the former site of the notorious Devil’s Island penal colony, which housed tens of thousands of convicts from 1852 to 1954.
As France grapples with rising incidents of attacks on its prisons, some of which have been categorized as "terrorist" actions in response to enhanced security measures, the establishment of the new facility aims to provide a long-term solution. The French justice ministry is currently reviewing these developments as society watches closely for proactive measures against drug-related violence in French jails.
