Jailhouse Surprise: Brazil's FormerPresident Jair Bolsonaro Faces Time Behind Bars

He contested the law and the law won.

Sixty days following being handed a quarter-century plus sentence for seeking to “annihilate” Brazil’s democratic institutions, former president Jair Bolsonaro finally appears headed to prison.

Imminent Incarceration

The convicted instigator – who's been under home confinement in his residence while a series of legal procedures and appeals proceed – is largely predicted to be jailed in the near future, amidst mounting rumors that he will be sent to a well-known top-security facility.

Previous Remarks on Prisoners

Over Bolsonaro’s four-decade political career, the far-right former soldier displayed scant mercy for the country's prison population.

“Why should we offer those dirtbags a easy time?” he once mused. “They should just get messed, full-fucking-stop. That's my opinion.”

In another instance, Bolsonaro declared: “If you don’t want to wind up there, you simply need is to avoid sexual assault, kidnap or rob.”

Jail Destination Speculation

Yet the possibility of Bolsonaro himself landing in the Papuda top-security prison in Brasília has horrified allies, four of whom this week inspected the complex in an obvious bid to discourage the high court from sending him there.

The senator, a politician from Bolsonaro’s allied group who was one of the visitors, claimed he predicted the elderly leader to be imprisoned in the coming fortnight and worried his destination could be Papuda.

Lucas claimed Bolsonaro’s serious intestinal problems – the result of a almost deadly assault during the 2018 presidential campaign – implied it would be hazardous to keep the former president there. “His health is extremely serious. He will not be able to cope if they move him to Papuda … It would be dreadful,” he added, who also expressed concern about overcrowded cells and the quality of jail cuisine.

While visiting Papuda, Lucas recalled observing cells accommodating 40 detainees: “It's practically one meter squared per detainee.

“We talked to the convicts and they protest, of course, of the awful food,” continued the senator.

Supporters Voice Concerns

Lucas is not the sole person voicing opinions ahead of the former president’s anticipated incarceration.

Authoring in a leading publication, a different supporter, the former government official Fábio Wajngarten, deplored the “brutal” end to Bolsonaro’s “impeccable” political career and claimed Brazil was about to see “the largest unfairness in its past”.

“This is an wrong that erodes the hearts of countless of Brazilians,” he stated.

Varied Public Opinion

That may be true given the considerable support Bolsonaro holds on the conservative side. However his predicted incarceration has also gladdened the feelings of millions individuals who think he should be imprisoned for plotting to block his successor from taking power – and also conspiring to have him assassinated.

Congressman Otoni, a representative for the current leader's political party, stated: “Nobody wishes Bolsonaro to be placed in a dungeon. Nobody desires Bolsonaro to be put in solitary confinement. Nobody wants Bolsonaro to lack food or for him to have to lie on concrete. We wish him to obtain respectful care – but dignified care in prison. He can’t continue being his personal jailer for his lifetime.”

The congressman noted how Bolsonaro allies, who have spent years applauding the severe treatment of inmates, had unexpectedly become aware to their rights. “Recently has the extreme right – which has repeatedly asserted that civil liberties are not for lawbreakers – opted to visit a jail to find out what conditions are actually like,” he remarked.

“Bolsonaro is a lawbreaker,” the congressman maintained, but that did not mean he earned “degrading, demeaning handling”.

Potential Prison Conditions

Regardless of speculation that Bolsonaro could be moved to Papuda, which presently holds about thousands of detainees, his probable location appears to be a close jail for officers and other “particular” prisoners called Papudinha (Small Papuda).

Its cells are considerably more pleasant than those in the main prison, although nevertheless a far cry from the comfort Bolsonaro experienced while occupying the stunning official residence, about 20 kilometers away.

Based on information, the accommodation Bolsonaro could anticipate inhabit in Papudinha measures about 24 square meters – about the size of vehicle spaces – and contains a 12 square meter restroom with a bathing area and a 12 square meter veranda. “Bolsonaro would be permitted to have a TV and also a cooler in his quarters as long as they were provided by his family,” information indicated.

Ideological Comments

The lawmaker denounced the rumoured proposal to send the one-time head of state to Papuda as “a form of payback” on the part of the supreme court judge who led Bolsonaro’s legal case and will rule on his future in the {

Cory Schwartz
Cory Schwartz

A software engineer and tech writer passionate about emerging technologies and digital transformation.