Jailhouse Surprise: The Ex-President Jair Bolsonaro Confronts Time in Prison

He fought the legal system and the legal system triumphed.

Sixty days following receiving a quarter-century plus sentence for seeking to “eradicate” the nation's political system, ex-president Jair Bolsonaro at last looks destined for incarceration.

Anticipated Imprisonment

The adjudicated coup-monger – who's been living under home confinement in his mansion while a series of court processes and appeals unfold – is largely predicted to be jailed in the near future, during increasing rumors that he will be sent to a well-known maximum security facility.

Past Remarks on Inmates

Throughout Bolsonaro’s four-decade time in politics, the conservative former paratrooper exhibited little mercy for Brazil’s inmates.

“Why should we provide these lowlifes a good life?” he once mused. “They ought to simply be screwed, period. That's my opinion.”

At another time, Bolsonaro stated: “If you don’t want to wind up there, the only thing required is not sexual assault, kidnap or rob.”

Jail Facility Speculation

Yet the prospect of Bolsonaro himself ending up in the Papuda prison top-security prison in Brasília has appalled allies, four of whom this week toured the prison in an seeming effort to prevent the high court from transferring him there.

Izalci Lucas, a senator from Bolsonaro’s allied group who was part of that quartet, claimed he anticipated the septuagenarian leader to be jailed in the next 10 days and was concerned his location could be Papuda.

The senator argued Bolsonaro’s severe digestive issues – the outcome of a almost deadly assault during the 2018 election race – meant it would be hazardous to keep the ex-leader there. “His condition is highly critical. He won’t be able to manage if they send him to Papuda … It will be terrible,” said the senator, who also voiced anxiety about packed cells and the quality of prison meals.

While visiting Papuda, Lucas remembered witnessing cells accommodating four dozen prisoners: “That’s practically one meter squared per inmate.

“We talked to the inmates and they complain, naturally, of the horrible food,” added the senator.

Supporters Voice Concerns

He is not the sole person speaking out prior to the former president’s anticipated imprisonment.

Authoring in a leading publication, a different supporter, the former communications minister Fábio Wajngarten, bemoaned the “severe” conclusion to Bolsonaro’s “flawless” political career and alleged Brazil was about to experience “the biggest political injustice in its past”.

“This is an wrong that gnaws the hearts of countless of Brazilians,” he stated.

Mixed Public Response

It is possibly accurate due to the substantial support Bolsonaro retains on the conservative side. But his predicted jailing has also warmed the hearts of millions individuals who feel he ought to be jailed for planning to block the elected leader from assuming office – and additionally conspiring to have him assassinated.

Reimont Otoni, a representative for the sitting president's allied group, stated: “Nobody wishes Bolsonaro to be sent in a hole. No one wants Bolsonaro to be placed in solitary confinement. Nobody wishes Bolsonaro to go hungry or for him to have to lie on concrete. We wish him to get dignified treatment – but dignified care while incarcerated. He must not persist being his own prison warden for his whole life.”

The congressman noted how Bolsonaro supporters, who have spent years praising the harsh handling of convicts, had abruptly realized to their entitlements. “Just now has the far-right – which has always claimed that civil liberties are not for offenders – decided to inspect a jail to learn what situations are really like,” he stated.

“The former president is a offender,” Otoni insisted, but that did not mean he merited “degrading, degrading handling”.

Likely Jail Facilities

In spite of talk that Bolsonaro could be moved to Papuda, which presently holds about 14,000 detainees, his probable location seems to be a adjacent prison for law enforcement and other “unique” prisoners referred to as Papudinha (Little Papuda).

The accommodations are far more adequate than those in the larger jail, although nonetheless a distant from the luxury Bolsonaro enjoyed while occupying the stunning leader's home, approximately 12 miles away.

Based on reports, the accommodation Bolsonaro could likely occupy in Papudinha measures about 24 sq metres – approximately the area of a couple of car spots – and features a 12 square meter WC with a water facility and a 12 sq metre balcony. “He could be authorized to have a TV and even a small fridge in his room as long as they were provided by his relatives,” the report suggested.

Political Comments

He denounced the rumoured proposal to send the former leader to Papuda as “a type of retaliation” on the part of the judicial authority who presided over Bolsonaro’s legal case and will determine his outcome in the {

Marc Castillo
Marc Castillo

Elara is a minimalist lifestyle coach and interior designer who shares insights on creating serene, functional spaces.