**The French government has announced plans for a high-security prison in French Guiana, strategically positioned to combat organized crime and enhance security in the country’s prison system.**
**France Plans High-Security Prison in the Amazon Jungle to Combat Organized Crime**
**France Plans High-Security Prison in the Amazon Jungle to Combat Organized Crime**
**New facility aims to target drug trafficking and radical Islamism amid rising violence in French prisons.**
France has revealed its intention to construct a high-security prison within its overseas territory of French Guiana, primarily aimed at addressing rampant drug trafficking and housing radical Islamist offenders. The announcement was made by Gérald Darmanin, the French Minister of Justice, during his recent visit to the territory. This €400 million investment is expected to open its doors by 2028 and will be located in the remote areas of the Amazon jungle in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni.
The prison is a direct response to a troubling trend of violence linked to organized crime in French prisons, which has seen staff and facilities targeted in a series of attacks. Darmanin emphasized the facility would effectively incapacitate major drug traffickers by detaining key individuals in the early stages of the drug supply chain. He noted that the isolated nature of French Guiana would significantly sever communications that these criminals typically maintain with their counterparts in mainland France.
Plans include accommodations for 500 inmates, with a special section designated for the most dangerous offenders. Furthermore, the prison will operate under an "extremely strict carceral regime," designed to prevent inmates from engaging with their criminal networks.
French Guiana, located on South America's northeast coast, is a unique part of France, allowing its residents to participate in national elections and access French social services. Its geographical isolation is viewed as an asset in combating drug trafficking, particularly given that it is a nexus for smuggling routes from Brazil and Suriname.
In light of increased violence associated with drug gangs, the French government has actively sought new measures to enhance prison security. This includes the formation of dedicated prosecutor teams dealing with organized crime, additional powers for law enforcement, and enhanced protections for whistleblowers. The systematic construction of new high-security facilities, including the one in French Guiana, is a part of this overarching strategy.
Recent months have highlighted the struggles faced by French authorities in maintaining order within its prison facilities, with numerous attacks labeled by Darmanin as "terrorist." In these incidents, vehicles have been set ablaze outside of prisons, and gunfire has erupted in some locations.
The proposed prison site in French Guiana also marks a historical location with ties to the notorious Devil's Island penal colony, a significant point in the history of French penal transportation where many convicts were sent until 1954.
As France grapples with the increasing violence, the success of this new prison and its accompanying security measures remains to be seen, as authorities hope to stem the tide of organized crime and improve safety within their correctional systems.
