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

He fought the law and justice won.

A couple of months after receiving a 27-year sentence for attempting to “annihilate” Brazil’s democratic institutions, one-time leader Jair Bolsonaro now seems destined for incarceration.

Imminent Jailing

The convicted plotter – who had been under house arrest in his residence while a set of judicial steps and petitions proceed – is largely predicted to be imprisoned in the near future, amid increasing rumors that he will be transferred to a notorious high-security facility.

Historical Statements on Inmates

Throughout Bolsonaro’s 40-year public life, the far-right ex- soldier exhibited scant mercy for the country's inmates.

“Why should we provide those scoundrels a good life?” he once mused. “They deserve to be screwed, full-fucking-stop. That's my view.”

In another instance, Bolsonaro declared: “Unless you desire to end up there, you simply need is to avoid sexual assault, abduction or rob.”

Jail Facility Speculation

But the idea of Bolsonaro himself landing in the Papuda prison maximum security prison in Brasília has appalled supporters, four of whom this week toured the facility in an obvious effort to discourage the supreme court from sending him there.

Izalci Lucas, a lawmaker from Bolsonaro’s Liberal party who was one of the visitors, said he expected the septuagenarian leader to be incarcerated in the next 10 days and feared his assigned prison could be Papuda.

The senator argued Bolsonaro’s serious intestinal problems – the consequence of a almost deadly assault during the last political campaign – signified it would be hazardous to keep the one-time head of state there. “His health is highly critical. He cannot to handle it if they send him to Papuda … It could be awful,” he commented, who also worried about packed cells and the standard of jail cuisine.

While visiting Papuda, Lucas remembered observing cells accommodating 40 inmates: “That is almost one square meter per prisoner.

“We spoke to the prisoners and they protest, of course, of the horrible meals,” remarked the senator.

Allies Voice Concerns

Lucas is not the lone figure speaking out before the former president’s predicted detention.

Authoring in a leading newspaper, one more backer, the ex- cabinet member Fábio Wajngarten, lamented the “severe” end to Bolsonaro’s “spotless” time in office and asserted Brazil was about to witness “the biggest political injustice in its past”.

“It is an unfairness that eats away the hearts of many people in Brazil,” Wajngarten wrote.

Varied Public Opinion

This could be true given the significant backing Bolsonaro retains on the Brazilian right. Yet his anticipated jailing has also gladdened the hearts of millions others who feel he should be imprisoned for plotting to stop the elected leader from assuming office – and additionally plotting to have him assassinated.

The lawmaker, a congressman for the incumbent leader's Workers’ party, stated: “No one wants Bolsonaro to be put in a hole. No one wishes Bolsonaro to be sent in isolation. Nobody wants Bolsonaro to lack food or for him to have to sleep on the floor. We want him to receive dignified care – but proper handling in prison. He cannot continue being his personal jailer for his entire life.”

Otoni was struck by how Bolsonaro supporters, who have spent years praising the harsh treatment of prisoners, had abruptly become aware to their rights. “Recently has the far-right – which has always claimed that civil liberties should not be for criminals – chosen to tour a penitentiary to learn what situations are actually like,” he remarked.

“The former president is a criminal,” the congressman maintained, but that did not mean he deserved “humiliating, degrading handling”.

Possible Prison Facilities

In spite of rumors that Bolsonaro could be moved to Papuda, which presently houses about fourteen thousand prisoners, his more likely location seems to be a adjacent prison for police officers and other “unique” prisoners referred to as Papudinha (Small Papuda).

The accommodations are considerably more pleasant than those in the primary facility, although still a far cry from the comfort Bolsonaro experienced while residing in the impressive leader's home, around 12 miles away.

As per information, the cell Bolsonaro could anticipate reside in in Papudinha is about 24 sq metres – approximately the area of two parking spaces – and features a 12 square meter bathroom with a shower and a 12 sq metre balcony. “Bolsonaro would be permitted to have a television and also a minibar in his cell as long as they were supplied by his loved ones,” sources indicated.

Partisan Responses

Senator Lucas criticized the speculated idea to send the one-time head of state to Papuda as “an act of retaliation” on the part of the judicial authority who oversaw Bolsonaro’s proceedings and will rule on his fate in the {

Dennis Mahoney
Dennis Mahoney

A digital strategist and writer passionate about exploring how technology intersects with creative design and everyday life.