In the 50s, the prison of Pont-l’Evêque was known as ‘The Happy Jail’. At the time, it had become a legendary institution whose warden wanted to be liked rather than feared. The prisoners were free to make phone calls, manage their money, have visits from their girlfriends or wives, hold parties, go on day or night leave, and award themselves certificates of good conduct.
Murder in Pont-l'Évêque
In the 50s, the prison of Pont-l’Evêque was known as ‘The Happy Jail’. At the time, it had become a legendary institution whose warden wanted to be liked rather than feared. The prisoners were free to make phone calls, manage their money, have visits from their girlfriends or wives, hold parties, go on day or night leave, and award themselves certificates of good conduct. To commemorate that model correctional facility, Gendarmerie Lieutenant Julien Roussel, president of the ‘Happy Jail’ society, organizes a reception in the disused penitentiary to encourage exchanges between the public and former prisoners and prison staff. All the guests are wearing 50s costumes in memory of the days when the jail was a friendly, festive place. The celebration is at its height when a man wearing an old prison uniform is found hanged in the crypt. The victim is none other than Judge Daniel, the 68-year-old heir to a distinguished Pont-l’Evêque family… Two brothers, who apparently have nothing in common, investigate.
