Fleury-Mérogis Prison (Maison d'arrêt de Fleury-Mérogis) is a prison in France, located in the town of Fleury-Mérogis, in the southern suburbs of Paris. With more than 4,100 prisoners, it is the largest prison in Europe. It is operated by the Ministry of Justice. Fleury-Mérogis is notorious as a leading center of Islamist radicalization in European prisons.

History

Built between 1964 and 1968, the 180 hectare complex of Fleury-Mérogis comprises four entities: The main prison is formed by a polygonal central building from which radiate five blocks, each one consisting of three wings with four levels of cells. Each block has a capacity of 900 prisoners. Fleury-Mérogis is one of the three main prisons of the Paris area, the Fresnes Prison (the second largest in France) and the La Santé Prison (located in the centre of Paris) being the other two.

Characteristics

There is wire surrounding the top of the building, preventing helicopter and other possible escapes. The bottom of the building is enclosed with trash that the prisoners have thrown. While overcrowded (at 143% capacity, with over 4,300 inmates), Fleury-Mérogis is still under less population stress than other locations such as Fresnes Prison and Villepinte Prison.

Notable inmates

Infamous and notable past and present prisoners include: