Before joining the colony, the convicts were divided according to their case files and skills. They were spread out in camps that belonged either to individuals or to companies throughout the country.

The rest of the convicts that stayed on the Isle of Nou slept in big dormitories. They were employed in les ateliers (workshops) where they would shape materials such as iron, wood. Those who could read and write were assigned to office work. Others took care of the water and unloaded merchandise shipped from the crane’s platform. Others were kept busy in the bakery producing bread, the main staple diet of the convicts.

The prisoners were supervised by military guards who lived in the barracks overlooking the camp. The supervisors’ wives and children stayed on site. A school was even set up for children’s education. On Sundays, the prison chapel would celebrate weddings, births, baptisms and hold mass.