Exit the Iscles site in Saint-Laurent du Var, an option that had been unanimously opposed by the President of the Metropolitan Council Christian Estrosi and the mayor of this town Jacques Séguara. Instead, yes to the on-site renovation of the Nice prison (newly named Coeur de Nice) plus, in the medium term, an additional third unit located north of the Iscles, towards La Baronne.
This is the summary of the report that the Prefect will send to the Minister of Justice so that he can make the urgent and eagerly awaited decision.
The decision will most likely go in the proposed direction, which, whether good or bad, will help provide a solution to the situation of the penitentiary system, which has been deemed inappropriate for years.
Besides, the Justice Minister himself, during a visit to Nice, acknowledging the deteriorated state of affairs, had requested a proposal.
Now that it has been delivered…
Great satisfaction was expressed by the Estrosi-Pradal tandem: “We welcome the decision to rehabilitate the Nice prison on its current site, which we were hoping for. The conditions in this prison were no longer dignified, and our local authorities will do everything possible to facilitate this rehabilitation”.
In anticipating probable criticisms, Prefect Leclerc points out an in-depth consultation with potentially concerned officials, parliamentarians, and mayors, which preceded his decision: “On the proposal of the metropolitan elected officials and the departmental council and considering the important economic development projects in this sector, the prefect proposes to abandon the Iscles site, in the town of Saint-Laurent du Var”.
As everyone knows, and the Prefect is certainly not unaware, a citizens’ association has been fighting for years for the transfer of the prison from the “heart” of Nice to another location and will not fail to express its disapproval.
Hence this concession towards them: “This renovation must take into account requests for improved integration into the residential area expressed by the local residents”.
Will this recommendation be enough to calm the spirits of citizens who feel aggrieved, or will it be seen as mere lip service?
We shall see.
