Jailhouse Surprise: Brazil's FormerPresident Jair Bolsonaro Confronts Life in Prison

He battled the law and justice triumphed.

Two months after getting a quarter-century plus sentence for trying to “destroy” Brazil’s democracy, former president Jair Bolsonaro finally appears headed to prison.

Anticipated Jailing

The convicted coup-monger – who's been subject to residential detention in his mansion while a number of court processes and petitions play out – is widely expected to be incarcerated in the next few days, amid growing rumors that he will be moved to a infamous top-security facility.

Previous Comments on Prisoners

During Bolsonaro’s 40-year time in politics, the conservative former soldier showed little sympathy for Brazil’s prison population.

“Why should we give those dirtbags a easy time?” he once mused. “They should just get messed, end of story. That's my opinion.”

In another instance, Bolsonaro stated: “Unless you desire to finish in prison, you simply need is not sexual assault, abduction or theft.”

Jail Destination Debate

However the idea of Bolsonaro himself winding up in the Papuda prison maximum security prison in Brasília has horrified supporters, several of whom this week toured the prison in an apparent bid to dissuade the supreme court from sending him there.

The senator, a lawmaker from Bolsonaro’s Liberal party who was among that group, said he anticipated the elderly politician to be incarcerated in the following week and a half and was concerned his location could be Papuda.

He asserted Bolsonaro’s acute gut problems – the outcome of a near-fatal assault during the 2018 election race – signified it would be dangerous to keep the former president there. “His condition is highly critical. He will not be able to manage if they send him to Papuda … It could be dreadful,” he added, who also voiced anxiety about packed cells and the condition of prison meals.

During his tour Papuda, Lucas noted seeing cells containing four dozen inmates: “That’s practically one meter squared per prisoner.

“We talked to the inmates and they grumble, unsurprisingly, of the horrible meals,” continued the senator.

Backers Voice Concerns

He is not the sole person speaking out ahead of the former president’s anticipated detention.

Authoring in a leading publication, a different supporter, the ex- cabinet member Fábio Wajngarten, bemoaned the “harsh” finale to Bolsonaro’s “flawless” political career and alleged Brazil was about to see “the biggest unfairness in its record”.

“This is an wrong that eats away the souls of many people in Brazil,” Wajngarten wrote.

Varied Public Opinion

That may be correct considering the substantial backing Bolsonaro maintains on the right-wing. But his anticipated incarceration has also pleased the hearts of numerous individuals who feel he deserves to be imprisoned for conspiring to block the elected leader from assuming office – and additionally scheming to have him killed.

Congressman Otoni, a representative for the current president's allied group, said: “No one wishes Bolsonaro to be put in a dark cell. Not a soul wishes Bolsonaro to be put in segregation. Nobody wants Bolsonaro not to be fed or for him to have to lie on concrete. We want him to get dignified treatment – but respectful care behind bars. He cannot continue being his personal jailer for his whole life.”

The congressman noted how Bolsonaro backers, who have long applauding the harsh treatment of convicts, had abruptly become aware to their entitlements. “Just now has the conservative fringe – which has consistently claimed that human rights were not for offenders – chosen to visit a penitentiary to find out what conditions are really like,” he said.

“He is a lawbreaker,” the congressman maintained, but that did not mean he deserved “degrading, demeaning treatment”.

Possible Prison Conditions

Despite speculation that Bolsonaro could be moved to Papuda, which currently holds about fourteen thousand prisoners, his probable location looks to be a adjacent prison for law enforcement and other “particular” prisoners referred to as Papudinha (Small Papuda).

His potential cell are far more adequate than those in the primary facility, although still a far cry from the luxury Bolsonaro experienced while occupying the spectacular leader's home, around 12 miles away.

Based on sources, the cell Bolsonaro could expect to reside in in Papudinha measures about 260 square feet – approximately the dimensions of vehicle spaces – and features a 130 square foot restroom with a shower and a 12 square meter terrace. “The ex-president might be allowed to have a television and even a small fridge in his quarters as long as they were supplied by his relatives,” sources indicated.

Ideological Reactions

He criticized the rumoured plan to send the former leader to Papuda as “a type of revenge” on the part of the supreme court judge who presided over Bolsonaro’s proceedings and will decide his future in the {

Debra Ponce
Debra Ponce

A web developer and tech writer passionate about sharing innovative tools and best practices in modern web design.