Reason why I'm asking... reading a book set in the same era as Les Miz. This book alleges that a man can be sentenced to "life in the galleys" at Toulon but can receive visitors. He's in Paris for his trial, and his mother could visit him in prison. He specifically asked her to visit him at Toulon the next month (because it takes some 30 days for a prisoner to get from Paris to Toulon).

A month later, she stays at a vicarage near Toulon, and visits him on that day, which, BTW is the day before she will donate one million francs to the church. He wheedles info out of her, like where she's staying, and how secure the money is being stored. Then, he and his chain-mate escape (of course) and he makes his way to the vicarage, steals the money and inadvertently stabs his mother before fleeing.

I don't know... sounds a but far-fetched. Since the convicts at Toulon were there for hard labor, some for life, were they really allowed to have visitors? In theory, could Jeanne (Valjean's sister) be able to being the kids to see their Uncle Jean if she had the means?