The electronic bracelet, which Nicolas Sarkozy must now wear, is an alternative to prison. It is a box attached to the ankle, connected to a home receiver or GPS system. It continuously sends signals to check that the person is respecting the restrictions imposed, such as staying at home at certain times or avoiding certain places.
If these conditions are not respectedfor example in the event of unjustified absence or damage to the bracelet, an alert is sent to a monitoring center. The authorities can then decide on sanctions.
The terms for Nicolas Sarkozy have not yet been set. The general prosecutor’s office will refer the matter to a sentence enforcement judge (JAP) in Paris. This judge will summon Nicolas Sarkozy, generally within 20 days, to determine his place of assignment and his release times.
Release times
For example, he could be allowed to go out between 7:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. to go to work. The JAP will issue an order setting these terms, without possibility of appeal for the convicted person. The date of application of the bracelet will also be determined. By law, this order must be made within 4 months of conviction, but deadlines may vary.
Travel abroad
On the day the bracelet is fitted, prison administration agents go to the convict’s home to install the device. If the condemned person is not at home at the set times, an alert is triggered. To change job, residence or travel abroad, prior authorization from the JAP is required. The judge will also decide on possible sentence reductions, based on reports from the Prison Integration and Probation Service (SPIP).
Nicolas Sarkozy will be imprisoned without detention. As he will be over 70 from January 28, he will be able to apply for parole before halfway through his sentence, but this is not guaranteed. The electronic bracelet is the main development in France: as of November 1, 2024, 15,591 people wore one, out of a total of 96,569 prisoners, according to the Chancellery.
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