The prison is intended for the most dangerous prisoners – including drug lords, according to Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin.
The so-called supermax prison is set to open in 2028 in Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni, a French overseas department in northern South America.
Sixty places, an extremely strict prison regime and a goal: to get rid of the most dangerous profiles involved in drug trafficking, says Darmanin to the newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche.
The Justice Minister is known for taking tough action against drug trafficking and gangs that make a living from narcotics. 15 of the places will, however, be earmarked for convicted Islamist extremists, according to the Justice Department in Paris.
The location of the prison is intended to "permanently isolate" the prisoners.
Saint-Laurent-du-Maroni is a logistical hub for drug couriers who smuggle drugs from mainly Brazil to France – either in their luggage or in their stomachs.
