"Je t'aime ma puce... mais cette détention me rend dingue, tellement je me sens impuissant devant la connerie ! "

Autograph letter signed by Jacques Mesrine, dated Wednesday 29 December 1976,  addressed to Jeanne Schneider, his love interest of the time. She smuggled out of prison the manuscript of his famous autobiography L'Instinct de mort. 66 lines in blue ink on two pages of a leaf. In the top left-hand corner of the letter, Jacques Mesrine has drawn a bouquet of flowers in multicoloured felt-tip pens. Usual horizontal fold, small tear to the fold in the right-hand margin.
Jacques Mesrine, who was in Fleury-Mérogis prison at the time, was delighted to receive so much proof of love and friendship in the many letters he received from his friends and family.
He, in turn, replied to all his correspondents, and in particular to Madame Panco, who had shown great kindness towards Jeanne Schneider: "I'm going to send my best wishes to Madame Panco, as I do every year... because I haven't forgotten what this woman has done for you... she is a “woman of respect” and a very human person... There are some in the administration (it's rare)'.
The indomitable Mesrine is full of tenderness and delicacy for Jeanne Schneider: ‘I've made you a little bouquet of flowers... to make up for being so unpleasant with you at the moment', but he has no wish in the world to change and submit to anyone's wishes: "What do you want, I'm becoming an old fart with a bloody temper... but I am as I am and have no intention of changing... or else I wouldn't be me any more. I'll tell you one thing, my angel... whether my book works or not... I don't give a damn... there's no way I'm going to start from scratch to make it sweeter."
Public Enemy No. 1 was outraged by the way he was treated by the prison administration after the publication of his polemical book ‘L'instinct de mort' (The Death Instinct ): "In France, the truth is frightening. At the moment I don't go out for a walk. ... I'm in my cell 24 hours a day. The reform! What do you expect me to do in this stupid courtyard in such cold weather? But I'm in great shape! "
He doesn't despair of being released or regaining his freedom soon, much to the dismay of all those who prefer to see him locked up: "I'm going to have to apply for a leave of... 10 years. but if that day comes... how many people are going to shit their pants... a lot of loudmouths who take advantage of the fact that I'm caged up to play the ‘pimp' but I'm free... there are no more ‘pimps'. it's nice to dream...'.
But he also talks about how happy he'll be to see his sweetheart again very soon, even if his condition as a prisoner is weighing on him and enraging him all the more: "I hope we'll finally be able to smile again, I'm going to be the real adorable little guy... well, almost! I love you, sweetheart... but this imprisonment is driving me crazy, I feel so powerless in the face of bullshit! "

A rare and beautiful letter from Jacques Mesrine in which he shows his intense affection for his girlfriend and his strong resentment of the prison system.