France · Kourou
Devil's Island
Data is aggregated from public sources and may be incomplete or out of date. Always verify with primary sources before acting on any figure. See data sources.
For families
How to send mail, money, and visit Devil's Island
Step-by-step guidance using the France system — addresses, money services, visit booking, what to bring on your first visit.
Gallery
From Wikimedia Commons (CC-BY-SA where not otherwise stated).
Photo by AnonymousUnknown author (un homme de bord du "Sfax") via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Photo by AnonymousUnknown author (un homme de bord du "Sfax") via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Photo by Christian F5UII via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Photo by Pinkerton National Detective Agency via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Photo by Unknown authorUnknown author via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Photo by Unknown authorUnknown author via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
Photo by Christian F5UII via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Photo by Cayambe via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)
Capacity
—
Current population
—
Occupancy
—
Year opened
1852
Operational
Figures from official sources · verified 29 May 2026 · methodology
Facility profile
Operator
—
Population held
Mixed/unknown
Opened
1852
Region
Kourou
Security level
—
Death-row facility
No
Conditions
No conditions summary available yet.
Visiting
No visiting information available.
Mailing
No mailing information available.
Practical info
Contact the operator's website for inmate-specific procedures.
Known issues
No major issues documented in our database.
Notable inmates
Jean De Boë1889–1974 · typographerJean Adelin De Boë (March 20, 1889 in Anderlecht (Brussels) â January 2, 1974 in Watermael-Boitsfort (Brussels)) was a typographer and anarchist.
René Belbenoît1899–1959 · writerJules René Lucien Belbenoît (French: [ÊÉne bÉlbÉnwa]; 4 April 1899 â 25 February 1959) was a French prisoner on Devil's Island who successfully escaped to the United States.
Charles Benjamin Ullmo1882–1957 · Officer of the French Navy.jpg)
- George John Seaton1900
George John Seaton (born December 3, 1900, in France), was an English man who was sentenced to imprisonment on Devil's Island in French Guiana.
Source: Wikidata + Wikipedia.
Contact & address
No public contact details available.
Conditions Risk Score
Derived signal — not a judgement. How it's calculated
Related facilities
Same country, matched on type + security level where possible.
- Maison d'arrêt BayonneBayonnepretrialMaison d'arrêt209% occupancy
- Maison d'arrêt CarcassonnepretrialMaison d'arrêt236% occupancy
- Maison d'arrêt LimogesLimogespretrialMaison d'arrêt219% occupancy
- Maison d'arrêt VannespretrialMaison d'arrêt200% occupancy
- Maison d'arrêt AuxerreAuxerrepretrialMaison d'arrêt208% occupancy
- Maison d'arrêt AmiensAmienspretrialMaison d'arrêt212% occupancy
Data completeness
16%How many of our profile fields are populated. We surface this so families and researchers know the limits.
Sources
- Wikidata — Wikimedia Foundation
- Wikidata (Q220385)
- Wikipedia
- Wikimedia Commons
- See /data-sources for our overall methodology.
Cite this page
Under CC-BY-4.0. Include the URL and access date; the site is a living reference and entries can change.
World Prisons. (2026). Devil's Island. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://worldprisons.com/prisons/devil-s-island
"Devil's Island." World Prisons. Accessed October 20, 2026. https://worldprisons.com/prisons/devil-s-island.
@misc{worldprisons-devil-s-island,
author = {{World Prisons}},
title = {Devil's Island},
year = {2026},
url = {https://worldprisons.com/prisons/devil-s-island},
urldate = {2026-10-20}
}