It has been three weeks since Pierre Palmade faced his conviction by the courts after the serious accident he caused while under the influence in Seine-et-Marne in February 2023, seriously injuring three people including a child and a pregnant woman. His sentence amounts to five years in prison, two of which are closed, and he was incarcerated on December 9 in Bordeaux-Gradignan prison, not far from where he has a house and where his sister lives. The arrival of the 56-year-old artist did not go unnoticed and it would have profoundly disrupted the daily lives of the teams on site, as revealed Le Figaro.
“Patrols must be carried out every hour, day and night, as it is considered a priority by management“, confides a source close to the daily case. In addition to the daily control of the bars, a visual examination of the comedian's cell must be carried out in the presence of a officer and two agents. Which is no easy feat when you know that the establishment is understaffed. For the guards, this additional charge is “trying“although justified by the “media status” of the inmate.
Le Figaro was able to consult an internal memo which details the specific instructions: “The national level media status by Pierre Palmade (Editor's note) requires two daily observations (morning and evening) reporting his attitude and behavior. Any anomalies or unusual changes must be reported immediately. In addition, each opening of the cell must be done in the presence of a ranking officer or an officer, who notes in a register the date, time, reason and identities of the participants present. These constraints also apply to everyday activities, such as showering..”
The celebrity of Pierre Palmade, who attracts attention within the detention center, also forces the guards to establish a “blocking of movements” from other detainees each time he has to leave his cell. To limit this constraint, the memo recommends that his appointments, whether medical consultations, meetings with his lawyers or interviews with the prison integration and probation service (SPIP), take place in the isolation unit where he is detained. As for his cell, we know that it was specially repainted before his arrival.
Pierre Palmade in prison: he is systematically searched
Before sending or receiving mail, Pierre Palmade must see his exchanges go through the filter from the management of building A, where he is incarcerated. His telephone communications are also subject to daily monitoring. To this are added security pat-downs and a passage to metal detector portal every time he enters or leaves his cell.
The linen he receives during visiting rooms is systematically searched, and visits from his relatives must be previously validated by management. If they are authorized, they still take place “at the back of the parlor area“, a space offering greater privacy. The memo also specifies the security measures (level 1) to be applied in the event of medical extraction. In this eventuality, it is imperative to preserve the anonymity of the detainee, in particular by emptying the emergency area upon arrival at the hospital and quickly covering the windows of his room. A static guard must be provided 24 hours a day in front of the room to guarantee its security.
However, this is only the usual procedure applied to a “media” prisoner, which is gaining momentum because it is the Bordeaux prison. Prison in which he is alone in this case. If he were detained in the VIP Health district in Paris, where the guards are very used to these procedures, it would be simpler.
Serious measures, but when we know that drugs enter the Bordeaux-Gradignan penitentiary center at will according to Le Figaro and that Pierre Palmade destroyed lives while he was consumed by his addictions, we can never be too careful. He was completely sober from drugs and alcohol for 17 months…so this is also to protect him himself.
