Prison Shock: Brazil's FormerPresident Bolsonaro Faces Time in Prison

He battled the legal system and the legal system prevailed.

Sixty days after being handed a twenty-seven-year sentence for trying to “destroy” the nation's democracy, ex-president Jair Bolsonaro now looks jail-bound.

Expected Imprisonment

The found-guilty coup-monger – who has been under residential detention in his residence while a set of legal procedures and petitions play out – is widely expected to be imprisoned in the next few days, amidst mounting talk that he will be moved to a infamous top-security prison.

Past Statements on Prisoners

Over Bolsonaro’s 40-year public life, the far-right ex- soldier displayed minimal sympathy for Brazil’s jailed individuals.

“Why should we provide those lowlifes a good life?” he previously wondered. “They deserve to be fucked, end of story. That's my view.”

On another occasion, Bolsonaro declared: “Should you not wish to wind up there, you simply need is not sexual assault, kidnap or theft.”

Prison Facility Discussion

But the idea of Bolsonaro himself ending up in the Papuda high-security prison in Brasília has appalled backers, four of whom this week visited the complex in an obvious effort to discourage the judiciary from transferring him there.

Senator Lucas, a politician from Bolsonaro’s Liberal party who was among that group, stated he expected the elderly figure to be incarcerated in the next 10 days and was concerned his location could be Papuda.

He asserted Bolsonaro’s severe intestinal issues – the consequence of a life-threatening knife attack during the 2018 election race – implied it would be hazardous to keep the ex-leader there. “His condition is very grave. He will not be able to handle it if they send him to Papuda … It will be terrible,” he added, who also expressed concern about packed cells and the condition of jail cuisine.

While visiting Papuda, Lucas recalled observing cells accommodating forty prisoners: “That’s practically one square metre per detainee.

“We conversed to the prisoners and they complain, naturally, of the awful cuisine,” added the senator.

Supporters Voice Concerns

He is not the only voice voicing opinions ahead of the ex-leader's anticipated incarceration.

Penning in a prominent newspaper, one more backer, the ex- government official Fábio Wajngarten, lamented the “severe” conclusion to Bolsonaro’s “impeccable” public service and alleged Brazil was about to witness “the largest wrong in its past”.

“It represents an unfairness that eats away the hearts of many Brazilian citizens,” he stated.

Divided General Opinion

This could be true considering the significant support Bolsonaro retains on the conservative side. However his predicted incarceration has also pleased the spirits of many others who think he ought to be incarcerated for plotting to prevent his successor from assuming office – and also plotting to have him assassinated.

The lawmaker, a politician for the sitting leader's allied group, stated: “Not a soul desires Bolsonaro to be put in a hole. No one wants Bolsonaro to be placed in isolation. Nobody desires Bolsonaro not to be fed or for him to have to lie on concrete. We desire him to get proper treatment – but respectful treatment while incarcerated. He must not continue being his own prison warden for his whole life.”

Otoni was struck by how Bolsonaro supporters, who have for a long time celebrating the severe handling of convicts, had abruptly woken up to their privileges. “Only now has the extreme right – which has repeatedly asserted that human rights are not for offenders – decided to visit a prison to discover what situations are really like,” he stated.

“He is a offender,” he affirmed, but that did not mean he merited “shameful, degrading conduct”.

Potential Prison Environment

Regardless of speculation that Bolsonaro could be sent to Papuda, which currently houses about thousands of inmates, his probable destination looks to be a close prison for law enforcement and other “particular” prisoners referred to as Papudinha (Little Papuda).

His potential cell are much more adequate than those in the primary facility, although still a far cry from the opulence Bolsonaro had while occupying the spectacular official residence, around 20 kilometers away.

Based on information, the accommodation Bolsonaro could likely occupy in Papudinha measures about 24 sq metres – roughly the size of a couple of car spots – and contains a 12 square meter WC with a bathing area and a 12 sq metre veranda. “He could be authorized to have a set and additionally a small fridge in his room as long as they were provided by his relatives,” sources stated.

Political Comments

He condemned the talked-about plan to send the former leader to Papuda as “a type of revenge” on the part of the judicial authority who led Bolsonaro’s coup trial and will rule on his fate in the {

Travis Miller
Travis Miller

A technology journalist specializing in gaming and digital entertainment, with over a decade of industry experience.