Jailhouse Shock: Brazil's Ex-President Jair Bolsonaro Confronts Life in Prison

He battled the legal system and the legal system prevailed.

Sixty days subsequent to getting a 27-year sentence for attempting to “destroy” the nation's democratic institutions, former president Jair Bolsonaro finally looks headed to prison.

Expected Imprisonment

The convicted coup-monger – who's been living under house arrest in his estate while a number of legal procedures and appeals proceed – is widely expected to be incarcerated in the next few days, during growing talk that he will be sent to a well-known maximum security prison.

Historical Remarks on Inmates

Throughout Bolsonaro’s four-decade time in politics, the conservative ex- military man showed little compassion for Brazil’s inmates.

“For what reason must we give those dirtbags a comfortable existence?” he once mused. “They should just get messed, period. That's my view.”

On another occasion, Bolsonaro stated: “If you don’t want to wind up there, you simply need is not rape, kidnap or rob.”

Jail Destination Debate

Yet the idea of Bolsonaro himself winding up in the Papuda top-security prison in Brasília has horrified allies, several of whom this week inspected the facility in an apparent attempt to prevent the judiciary from transferring him there.

The senator, a senator from Bolsonaro’s Liberal party who was part of that quartet, said he expected the 70-year-old leader to be imprisoned in the following week and a half and was concerned his assigned prison could be Papuda.

The senator argued Bolsonaro’s severe intestinal issues – the consequence of a almost deadly assault during the 2018 presidential election race – implied it would be dangerous to keep the ex-leader there. “His [health] situation is very grave. He will not be able to handle it if they take him to Papuda … It would be dreadful,” he added, who also voiced anxiety about overcrowded cells and the standard of inmate food.

When inspecting Papuda, Lucas noted seeing cells holding four dozen detainees: “It's almost one meter squared per inmate.

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

Backers React

The senator isn't the lone figure voicing opinions prior to the former president’s predicted imprisonment.

Penning in a major publication, a different supporter, the former government official Fábio Wajngarten, bemoaned the “severe” conclusion to Bolsonaro’s “impeccable” public service and alleged Brazil was about to witness “the greatest political injustice in its record”.

“It represents an wrong that eats away the souls of countless of Brazilians,” the former minister said.

Mixed General Response

That may be correct due to the significant backing Bolsonaro retains on the Brazilian right. However his anticipated incarceration has also warmed the hearts of numerous other people who believe he deserves to be imprisoned for plotting to stop the incoming president from taking power – and also plotting to have him murdered.

Reimont Otoni, a congressman for the sitting leader's allied group, stated: “No one wants Bolsonaro to be placed in a dark cell. Not a soul wishes Bolsonaro to be sent in solitary confinement. Not a soul wants Bolsonaro not to be fed or for him to have to lie on concrete. We want him to obtain respectful handling – but proper care while incarcerated. He can’t carry on being his self-appointed guard for his lifetime.”

Otoni was struck by how Bolsonaro supporters, who have for a long time celebrating the harsh handling of inmates, had suddenly realized to their rights. “Recently has the conservative fringe – which has always argued that basic rights are not for criminals – decided to visit a jail to discover what conditions are actually like,” he stated.

“The former president is a criminal,” he affirmed, but that did not mean he merited “degrading, insulting handling”.

Potential Prison Conditions

In spite of rumors that Bolsonaro could be sent to Papuda, which currently holds about 14,000 detainees, his probable assigned facility appears to be a nearby penitentiary for law enforcement and other “unique” prisoners called Papudinha (Minor Papuda).

The accommodations are considerably more comfortable than those in the primary facility, although nevertheless a far cry from the opulence Bolsonaro enjoyed while living in the impressive leader's home, approximately 20 kilometers away.

According to sources, the cell Bolsonaro could likely occupy in Papudinha is about 260 square feet – about the area of vehicle spaces – and includes a 130 square foot restroom with a shower and a 130 square foot terrace. “He could be allowed to have a TV and even a small fridge in his room as long as they were provided by his loved ones,” the report stated.

Political Responses

He condemned the talked-about idea to send the ex-president to Papuda as “an act of retaliation” on the part of the presiding magistrate who oversaw Bolsonaro’s legal case and will determine his future in the {

Rachael Hudson
Rachael Hudson

Wildlife biologist with a passion for sloth research and environmental advocacy, sharing insights from field studies in Central America.