France causes backlash with proposal for prison section near old penal colony

Plans for a New High-Security Prison in French Guiana Spark Protests

Plans to construct a high-security wing of the largest prison for drug traffickers and Islamic extremists in French Guiana have ignited protests among local residents and officials.

This new wing is part of a $450 million prison project announced in 2017 and is expected to be completed by 2028, with a capacity of 500 inmates. The prison will be situated in Saint Laurent Dumaloni, near Suriname, an area historically significant as it once housed prisoners sent by Napoleon III in the 1800s, some of whom ended up on the notorious Devil Island.

Durring a visit to French Guiana, French Justice Minister Gerald Dalmanin revealed intentions to build a high-security wing. In a Facebook update, he noted that 15 of the 60 spaces would be designated for Islamic extremists.

This announcement was covered by the French weekly, Le Journal du Dimanche. The prison aims to limit communication between drug traffickers and criminal networks.

“We’re seeing an increase in drug trafficking networks,” Dalmanin stated. “We need to take action.”

Reports from French media, citing the Department of Justice, suggested that residents of French Guiana and the Caribbean will be prioritized for the new prison’s placements.

The announcement has triggered considerable anger in French Guiana, a territory in South America that has a troubled colonial past, known for housing political prisoners such as Army Colonel Alfred Dreyfus.

Dreyfus was famously imprisoned on Devil’s Island, which has also been portrayed in popular culture, including the bestselling novel “Papillon” and its film adaptations.

Jean Paul Ferreira, president of the territorial group overseeing local governance in French Guiana, expressed surprise over the announcement, emphasizing that discussions on building a high-security wing hadn’t taken place prior.

“It’s shocking to discover this information, along with the entire population of Guiana,” he said in a social media statement.

Ferreira described the move as disrespectful. The agreement signed in 2017 was intended to address overcrowding in existing prisons, not to accommodate criminals from mainland France.

“While all local officials are keen on tackling organized crime, Guiana shouldn’t be a place for criminals and radicals from the mainland,” he remarked.

Similarly, Jean Victor Caster, a member of Parliament in Guiana, has vocally opposed the plans, having written to the French prime minister to express his dismay at the lack of local consultation.

“This is a disgrace for our history, a political provocation, and a step backwards in colonial relations,” Caster stated, urging France to reconsider the project.