These island prisons held mostly political prisoners as well as some of France's toughest criminals.

Pushing juveniles into the adult system may provide no greater punishment but breed tougher criminals who will be more difficult to handle upon release.

"Even so, that bunch of tough criminals wouldn't obey him now without a reason," Curt insisted.

He recalled a visit last year with a group of "young tough criminals," one of whom asked him whether he saw any hope for them.

Then, to the officer's obvious astonishment, he began wondering if women had enough physical strength for subduing tough criminals.

Are these the toughest criminals he has deported recently?

That is the local name for the tough young criminals who have taken over the streets of the capital, terrorizing local and foreign residents.

Probably hard-core criminals initially, they will emerge from prison as tougher hardened criminals.

"In our worst prisons, it produces tougher criminals," Clarke said.

So would a score of the toughest criminals of the underworld.