past era. The beginning of this work introduces the reader to the prisons in Paris, detailing their operations and the treatment of inmates. The author provides specific descriptions of several notable prisons, including Mazas, La Roquette, and the Conciergerie, noting the number of prisoners and their daily activities. The opening further reveals the chilling statistics of inmate populations and the division of labor within these establishments, laying the groundwork for a more thorough examination of the methods of punishment and the historical context behind them. This early portion sets a stark tone for the subsequent discussions on torture and capital punishment that the book promises to explore. (This is an automatically generated summary.)