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French Guiana to House New High-Security Prison
French Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin announced plans for a new high-security prison in French Guiana, the French territory bordering Suriname and Brazil. The facility, slated for Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, will hold up to 500 inmates, including 60 maximum-security prisoners. Darmanin stated the prison aims to address overcrowding and combat the region’s escalating drug trafficking problem.
During his visit to French Guiana on Sunday, Darmanin highlighted the territory’s role as a major transit point for cocaine destined for European markets. He emphasized the need for equivalent security measures in overseas territories compared to mainland France, citing the territory’s significantly higher homicide rate, attributed to organized crime.
The minister expressed concern over high-ranking criminals leveraging their wealth to corrupt officials and continue operations from within existing prisons. He stressed the need for more secure facilities for the 49 high-level drug traffickers currently in custody in French Guiana and other French overseas territories.
The 400 million euro ($451 million) complex will also include a court. The project evokes the history of the notorious Devil’s Island penal colony, which operated in French Guiana until 1953 and was known for its brutal conditions, inspiring both a 1939 film and the novel and subsequent film adaptations of “Papillon.”