France: France has announced plans to construct a new high-security prison in its overseas territory of French Guiana. The prison aims to detain drug traffickers and radical Islamists, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin revealed during a recent visit to the region.
The €400 million (£337 million) facility is set to open as early as 2028 in an isolated area deep within the Amazon jungle near Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, a strategic location known for drug trafficking routes from Brazil and Suriname.
Designed to hold up to 500 inmates, the prison will feature a separate wing dedicated to the most dangerous criminals. Darmanin described the prison’s regime as extremely strict, aimed at incapacitating top-level drug traffickers and cutting off their contact with criminal networks on the French mainland.
The new prison is intended to hold offenders “at the beginning of the drug trail” and serve as a “lasting means” to dismantle drug trafficking hierarchies.
The announcement comes amid a spate of violent attacks on prisons across France, which the government attributes to criminal gangs reacting to recent tough legislation. These attacks included arson and gunfire, with some perpetrators claiming to defend prisoners’ rights.
Retour sur #France2 sur le nécessaire quartier de haute sécurité contre les narcotrafiquants qui sévissent en Guyane et aux Antilles. pic.twitter.com/gGIJjaqjde
— Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) May 18, 2025
To further combat organized crime, France plans to establish a dedicated branch within the prosecutors’ office, grant investigators additional powers, and introduce special protections for informers.
New high-security prisons like the one in French Guiana will enforce stricter controls on visits and inmate communications, addressing issues such as widespread mobile phone smuggling inside jails.
French Guiana, located on South America’s northeast coast, is a French region with voting rights and access to national social benefits, making it a unique location for this high-profile prison project.
Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni also has historical significance as the gateway to the notorious Devil’s Island penal colony, immortalised in the book and film Papillon.
