Prison Shock: Brazil's FormerPresident Jair Bolsonaro Confronts Time in Prison

He fought the legal system and justice won.

A couple of months after being handed a twenty-seven-year sentence for trying to “eradicate” the nation's political system, ex-president Jair Bolsonaro now looks headed to prison.

Imminent Imprisonment

The adjudicated instigator – who's been subject to residential detention in his residence while a set of judicial steps and challenges unfold – is largely predicted to be jailed in the next few days, amidst growing speculation that he will be transferred to a infamous high-security prison.

Previous Comments on Prisoners

During Bolsonaro’s 40-year political career, the far-right former paratrooper exhibited minimal sympathy for the country's jailed individuals.

“Why should we give these dirtbags a comfortable existence?” he previously wondered. “They deserve to be messed, period. That’s what I reckon.”

In another instance, Bolsonaro declared: “Should you not wish to finish in prison, you simply need is not rape, abduction or rob.”

Jail Location Discussion

Yet the possibility of Bolsonaro himself ending up in the Papuda top-security prison in Brasília has horrified allies, four of whom this week toured the prison in an obvious effort to dissuade the supreme court from transferring him there.

The senator, a senator from Bolsonaro’s allied group who was part of that quartet, claimed he predicted the 70-year-old leader to be jailed in the coming fortnight and worried his destination could be Papuda.

Lucas claimed Bolsonaro’s acute intestinal issues – the consequence of a life-threatening assault during the 2018 election race – signified it would be risky to keep the one-time head of state there. “His condition is very grave. He will not be able to handle it if they take him to Papuda … It would be awful,” said the senator, who also worried about packed cells and the standard of prison meals.

When inspecting Papuda, Lucas noted seeing cells containing 40 prisoners: “That’s virtually one square metre per inmate.

“We conversed to the prisoners and they complain, of course, of the awful food,” continued the senator.

Backers Speak Out

The senator isn't the only voice expressing views ahead of the one-time head of state's predicted imprisonment.

Authoring in a major publication, a different supporter, the ex- cabinet member Fábio Wajngarten, bemoaned the “brutal” conclusion to Bolsonaro’s “spotless” political career and alleged Brazil was about to see “the biggest unfairness in its past”.

“It is an injustice that erodes the spirits of many people in Brazil,” Wajngarten wrote.

Mixed General Response

It is possibly true considering the substantial following Bolsonaro retains on the Brazilian right. Yet his expected imprisonment has also pleased the spirits of millions individuals who feel he should be imprisoned for planning to stop the incoming president from taking power – and also conspiring to have him murdered.

The lawmaker, a representative for the current president's Workers’ party, stated: “Not a soul wants Bolsonaro to be put in a hole. No one desires Bolsonaro to be placed in segregation. No one desires Bolsonaro not to be fed or for him to have to sleep on the floor. We want him to obtain dignified care – but proper care while incarcerated. He must not continue being his personal jailer for his entire life.”

The congressman noted how Bolsonaro supporters, who have long applauding the tough treatment of convicts, had abruptly woken up to their rights. “Just now has the far-right – which has always claimed that basic rights should not be for offenders – decided to tour a penitentiary to learn what situations are actually like,” he stated.

“He is a offender,” the congressman maintained, but that did not mean he earned “shameful, insulting treatment”.

Possible Prison Facilities

Despite speculation that Bolsonaro could be transferred to Papuda, which now holds about 14,000 detainees, his probable location appears to be a nearby jail for police officers and other “particular” inmates known as Papudinha (Small Papuda).

His potential cell are considerably more adequate than those in the larger jail, although nonetheless a far cry from the comfort Bolsonaro had while occupying the impressive official residence, about 20 kilometers away.

According to sources, the room Bolsonaro could likely occupy in Papudinha is about 24 sq metres – about the size of vehicle spaces – and includes a 12 sq metre restroom with a water facility and a 12 square meter veranda. “Bolsonaro would be authorized to have a TV and also a minibar in his quarters as long as they were provided by his loved ones,” the report suggested.

Partisan Comments

He criticized the speculated proposal to send the ex-president to Papuda as “an act of retaliation” on the part of the supreme court judge who oversaw Bolsonaro’s legal case and will rule on his future in the {

Kristen Bailey
Kristen Bailey

Cybersecurity specialist and AI researcher with over a decade of experience in tech innovation and digital security solutions.