Prison Surprise: The FormerPresident Jair Bolsonaro Faces Life Behind Bars

He fought justice and the legal system triumphed.

A couple of months subsequent to receiving a twenty-seven-year sentence for trying to “destroy” the nation's democratic institutions, former president Jair Bolsonaro now appears destined for incarceration.

Anticipated Jailing

The convicted coup-monger – who's been under home confinement in his mansion while a number of legal procedures and petitions unfold – is largely predicted to be jailed in the coming days, during increasing talk that he will be moved to a notorious top-security penitentiary.

Past Remarks on Prisoners

During Bolsonaro’s 40-year public life, the conservative former paratrooper showed minimal sympathy for the country's jailed individuals.

“For what reason must we give these lowlifes a easy time?” he previously wondered. “They deserve to be fucked, end of story. That's my view.”

In another instance, Bolsonaro stated: “Should you not wish to wind up in prison, the only thing required is not rape, abduction or rob.”

Jail Destination Debate

However the prospect of Bolsonaro himself ending up in the Papuda top-security prison in Brasília has shocked supporters, a group of four this week toured the complex in an apparent attempt to dissuade the supreme court from banishing him there.

The senator, a lawmaker from Bolsonaro’s allied group who was part of that quartet, claimed he expected the 70-year-old leader to be incarcerated in the following week and a half and feared his assigned prison could be Papuda.

He asserted Bolsonaro’s acute intestinal issues – the outcome of a near-fatal assault during the 2018 presidential campaign – implied it would be risky to keep the ex-leader there. “His condition is extremely serious. He will not be able to cope if they send him to Papuda … It could be dreadful,” he added, who also worried about overcrowded cells and the standard of jail cuisine.

While visiting Papuda, Lucas noted observing cells holding forty prisoners: “It's almost one square meter per inmate.

“We spoke to the convicts and they complain, naturally, of the terrible food,” remarked the senator.

Allies Voice Concerns

The senator isn't the sole person speaking out before the former president’s predicted detention.

Writing in a major publication, a different supporter, the ex- cabinet member Fábio Wajngarten, deplored the “brutal” finale to Bolsonaro’s “impeccable” political career and claimed Brazil was about to see “the biggest political injustice in its history”.

“It represents an injustice that gnaws the souls of many Brazilian citizens,” he stated.

Mixed General Opinion

This could be accurate considering the considerable backing Bolsonaro holds on the conservative side. Yet his anticipated incarceration has also warmed the feelings of numerous other people who believe he deserves to be imprisoned for conspiring to stop his successor from taking power – and also scheming to have him killed.

The lawmaker, a congressman for the sitting administration's allied group, said: “No one desires Bolsonaro to be put in a dark cell. No one wishes Bolsonaro to be sent in isolation. Not a soul wants Bolsonaro not to be fed or for him to have to rest on hard ground. We desire him to receive respectful handling – but respectful care behind bars. He must not continue being his personal jailer for his lifetime.”

He observed how Bolsonaro backers, who have long celebrating the severe treatment of convicts, had suddenly realized to their entitlements. “Only now has the extreme right – which has consistently asserted that basic rights should not be for criminals – decided to visit a prison to find out what conditions are actually like,” he said.

“The former president is a offender,” Otoni insisted, but that did not mean he deserved “shameful, demeaning treatment”.

Possible Incarceration Environment

In spite of speculation that Bolsonaro could be moved to Papuda, which now houses about 14,000 prisoners, his expected assigned facility appears to be a adjacent penitentiary for officers and other “unique” inmates called Papudinha (Small Papuda).

The accommodations are far more pleasant than those in the primary facility, although nonetheless a world away from the comfort Bolsonaro had while living in the stunning leader's home, around a short distance away.

Based on sources, the room Bolsonaro could likely occupy in Papudinha is about 260 square feet – approximately the dimensions of two parking spaces – and contains a 12 square meter restroom with a shower and a 12 square meter veranda. “The ex-president might be permitted to have a TV and also a cooler in his quarters as long as they were donated by his family,” sources indicated.

Political Reactions

Senator Lucas condemned the talked-about idea to send the ex-president to Papuda as “a type of retaliation” on the part of the judicial authority who led Bolsonaro’s legal case and will rule on his fate in the {

David Anthony
David Anthony

A former casino dealer turned gambling analyst, specializing in slot machine mechanics and responsible gaming practices.