Jailhouse Surprise: Brazil's Ex-President Jair Bolsonaro Confronts Life in Prison

He battled the law and justice won.

Two months subsequent to getting a quarter-century plus sentence for seeking to “destroy” Brazil’s democratic institutions, former president Jair Bolsonaro at last looks headed to prison.

Imminent Jailing

The adjudicated coup-monger – who has been living under home confinement in his residence while a series of judicial steps and challenges play out – is widely expected to be imprisoned in the next few days, during growing speculation that he will be moved to a infamous top-security facility.

Past Comments on Convicts

During Bolsonaro’s 40-year time in politics, the far-right ex- paratrooper displayed scant compassion for the country's inmates.

“Why should we offer those scoundrels a comfortable existence?” he previously wondered. “They ought to simply be fucked, period. That's my opinion.”

In another instance, Bolsonaro stated: “Unless you desire to wind up there, the only thing required is to avoid sexual assault, abduction or theft.”

Incarceration Facility Speculation

However the idea of Bolsonaro himself landing in the Papuda prison top-security prison in Brasília has horrified backers, several of whom this week inspected the complex in an obvious bid to discourage the supreme court from sending him there.

The senator, a politician from Bolsonaro’s political party who was part of that quartet, claimed he anticipated the 70-year-old leader to be incarcerated in the coming fortnight and was concerned his assigned prison could be Papuda.

Lucas claimed Bolsonaro’s severe intestinal ailments – the consequence of a near-fatal knife attack during the 2018 political campaign – meant it would be hazardous to keep the former president there. “His health is highly critical. He will not be able to handle it if they take him to Papuda … It could be terrible,” he commented, who also voiced anxiety about cramped cells and the standard of jail cuisine.

During his tour Papuda, Lucas remembered seeing cells holding forty detainees: “That is virtually one square meter per prisoner.

“We spoke to the inmates and they grumble, unsurprisingly, of the awful meals,” added the senator.

Allies Speak Out

He is not the sole person expressing views before the one-time head of state's anticipated detention.

Penning in a leading publication, one more backer, the former cabinet member Fábio Wajngarten, lamented the “harsh” end to Bolsonaro’s “impeccable” public service and asserted Brazil was about to experience “the largest wrong in its history”.

“It represents an injustice that eats away the souls of many of Brazilians,” Wajngarten wrote.

Mixed Public Reaction

That may be true given the significant backing Bolsonaro retains on the conservative side. However his predicted incarceration has also gladdened the spirits of millions others who think he deserves to be incarcerated for plotting to block the incoming president from becoming president – and also scheming to have him murdered.

Congressman Otoni, a representative for the current president's political party, stated: “Nobody desires Bolsonaro to be sent in a dark cell. No one wishes Bolsonaro to be put in isolation. Nobody wants Bolsonaro to go hungry or for him to have to lie on concrete. We wish him to get respectful handling – but proper care in prison. He must not persist being his self-appointed guard for his whole life.”

Otoni was struck by how Bolsonaro allies, who have for a long time applauding the tough handling of prisoners, had suddenly woken up to their entitlements. “Just now has the extreme right – which has consistently argued that civil liberties should not be for offenders – chosen to inspect a jail to discover what conditions are truly like,” he stated.

“The former president is a lawbreaker,” he affirmed, but that did not mean he merited “humiliating, degrading handling”.

Likely Prison Environment

Despite rumors that Bolsonaro could be transferred to Papuda, which presently houses about thousands of inmates, his more likely destination looks to be a close jail for officers and other “particular” prisoners called Papudinha (Little Papuda).

The accommodations are considerably more adequate than those in the main prison, although nevertheless a far cry from the opulence Bolsonaro experienced while occupying the impressive leader's home, around a short distance away.

Based on reports, the cell Bolsonaro could anticipate inhabit in Papudinha is about 24 square meters – approximately the area of two parking spaces – and features a 12 sq metre WC with a bathing area and a 12 sq metre terrace. “He could be authorized to have a TV and additionally a small fridge in his cell as long as they were provided by his family,” sources indicated.

Partisan Responses

He denounced the talked-about proposal to send the former leader to Papuda as “a form of revenge” on the part of the presiding magistrate who led Bolsonaro’s coup trial and will determine his future in the {

Kristen Dominguez
Kristen Dominguez

A tech journalist and gaming enthusiast with over a decade of experience covering digital trends and innovations.