Jailhouse Shock: Brazil's Ex-President Jair Bolsonaro Faces Time in Prison

He fought the legal system and the law prevailed.

Sixty days after getting a 27-year sentence for seeking to “annihilate” the nation's democracy, one-time leader Jair Bolsonaro finally seems destined for incarceration.

Expected Incarceration

The convicted plotter – who's been under house arrest in his mansion while a set of court processes and appeals proceed – is widely expected to be jailed in the next few days, amid mounting talk that he will be transferred to a infamous high-security prison.

Previous Comments on Prisoners

Over Bolsonaro’s four-decade time in politics, the conservative ex- paratrooper displayed scant compassion for Brazil’s prison population.

“For what reason must we provide these scoundrels a comfortable existence?” he previously wondered. “They deserve to be fucked, full-fucking-stop. That’s what I reckon.”

On another occasion, Bolsonaro stated: “If you don’t want to end up in prison, all you have to do is to avoid sexual assault, abduction or theft.”

Prison Location Debate

Yet the idea of Bolsonaro himself landing in the Papuda prison maximum security prison in Brasília has horrified backers, four of whom this week inspected the prison in an obvious bid to prevent the supreme court from sending him there.

Senator Lucas, a lawmaker from Bolsonaro’s political party who was among that group, claimed he anticipated the septuagenarian leader to be jailed in the next 10 days and worried his location could be Papuda.

Lucas claimed Bolsonaro’s serious digestive ailments – the result of a life-threatening knife attack during the 2018 election race – implied it would be hazardous to keep the ex-leader there. “His [health] situation is extremely serious. He will not be able to cope if they send him to Papuda … It will be terrible,” he added, who also worried about cramped cells and the quality of prison meals.

When inspecting Papuda, Lucas recalled observing cells accommodating 40 detainees: “That is virtually one meter squared per detainee.

“We spoke to the prisoners and they complain, of course, of the awful cuisine,” added the senator.

Backers Voice Concerns

He is not the lone figure speaking out prior to the one-time head of state's expected imprisonment.

Penning in a prominent newspaper, one more backer, the ex- communications minister Fábio Wajngarten, bemoaned the “severe” finale to Bolsonaro’s “spotless” public service and alleged Brazil was about to witness “the greatest political injustice in its record”.

“It represents an injustice that gnaws the souls of countless of Brazilians,” the former minister said.

Varied Popular Opinion

That may be correct given the significant support Bolsonaro holds on the conservative side. But his predicted imprisonment has also gladdened the feelings of millions other people who think he ought to be incarcerated for planning to prevent the incoming president from assuming office – and even conspiring to have him killed.

Congressman Otoni, a politician for the current administration's Workers’ party, said: “No one desires Bolsonaro to be placed in a dungeon. No one wishes Bolsonaro to be placed in segregation. Nobody desires Bolsonaro to go hungry or for him to have to lie on concrete. We wish him to receive proper treatment – but dignified treatment in prison. He cannot continue being his personal jailer for his whole life.”

Otoni was struck by how Bolsonaro allies, who have long celebrating the harsh handling of convicts, had unexpectedly woken up to their rights. “Only now has the conservative fringe – which has always argued that human rights are not for lawbreakers – opted to tour a prison to discover what situations are truly like,” he remarked.

“Bolsonaro is a offender,” Otoni insisted, but that did not mean he earned “shameful, demeaning handling”.

Possible Jail Environment

Regardless of rumors that Bolsonaro could be sent to Papuda, which presently houses about thousands of inmates, his expected destination appears to be a nearby penitentiary for police officers and other “unique” inmates known as Papudinha (Minor Papuda).

Its cells are much more comfortable than those in the primary facility, although still a far cry from the comfort Bolsonaro had while residing in the stunning presidential palace, about 12 miles away.

According to sources, the accommodation Bolsonaro could expect to reside in in Papudinha measures about 24 sq metres – roughly the area of vehicle spaces – and features a 12 sq metre bathroom with a shower and a 12 sq metre veranda. “The ex-president might be allowed to have a television and additionally a cooler in his room as long as they were donated by his relatives,” information stated.

Political Reactions

The lawmaker denounced the speculated idea to send the former leader to Papuda as “an act of revenge” on the part of the presiding magistrate who led Bolsonaro’s coup trial and will determine his outcome in the {

Eddie Evans
Eddie Evans

A seasoned gambling analyst with over a decade of experience in casino gaming and strategy development.