Prison Shock: The Ex-President Bolsonaro Confronts Time in Prison

He battled justice and the legal system prevailed.

Two months after receiving a quarter-century plus sentence for trying to “annihilate” Brazil’s political system, one-time leader Jair Bolsonaro finally appears headed to prison.

Anticipated Imprisonment

The found-guilty instigator – who's been under house arrest in his estate while a number of legal procedures and appeals unfold – is broadly anticipated to be incarcerated in the next few days, amidst growing speculation that he will be transferred to a well-known top-security penitentiary.

Past Statements on Prisoners

Throughout Bolsonaro’s four-decade time in politics, the conservative former soldier showed little mercy for Brazil’s prison population.

“For what reason must we give these lowlifes a good life?” he once mused. “They deserve to be fucked, end of story. That's my view.”

In another instance, Bolsonaro declared: “If you don’t want to wind up behind bars, all you have to do is not rape, abduction or rob.”

Incarceration Destination Discussion

But the idea of Bolsonaro himself landing in the Papuda prison high-security prison in Brasília has appalled allies, four of whom this week inspected the facility in an obvious bid to discourage the judiciary from banishing him there.

Senator Lucas, a lawmaker from Bolsonaro’s allied group who was one of the visitors, stated he predicted the elderly figure to be jailed in the coming fortnight and was concerned his destination could be Papuda.

The senator argued Bolsonaro’s severe gut problems – the result of a almost deadly stabbing during the last political campaign – implied it would be hazardous to keep the one-time head of state there. “His [health] situation is highly critical. He cannot to handle it if they take him to Papuda … It will be terrible,” he commented, who also worried about packed cells and the condition of prison meals.

While visiting Papuda, Lucas remembered witnessing cells accommodating four dozen detainees: “That’s almost one square meter per prisoner.

“We spoke to the inmates and they protest, naturally, of the horrible cuisine,” continued the senator.

Backers Speak Out

He is not the only voice voicing opinions prior to the ex-leader's expected imprisonment.

Writing in a leading daily, one more backer, the ex- communications minister Fábio Wajngarten, lamented the “harsh” end to Bolsonaro’s “flawless” political career and asserted Brazil was about to see “the greatest unfairness in its history”.

“It is an unfairness that gnaws the spirits of millions Brazilian citizens,” the former minister said.

Divided Public Response

This could be correct given the considerable support Bolsonaro retains on the Brazilian right. Yet his predicted incarceration has also warmed the hearts of numerous others who feel he deserves to be incarcerated for planning to prevent the incoming president from taking power – and even conspiring to have him assassinated.

The lawmaker, a congressman for the current president's Workers’ party, commented: “No one wants Bolsonaro to be placed in a dark cell. Not a soul desires Bolsonaro to be sent in segregation. No one wants Bolsonaro to lack food or for him to have to lie on concrete. We wish him to obtain proper care – but proper treatment while incarcerated. He can’t continue being his self-appointed guard for his entire life.”

The congressman noted how Bolsonaro backers, who have long applauding the severe conditions of inmates, had abruptly become aware to their entitlements. “Recently has the far-right – which has always argued that basic rights are not for criminals – decided to tour a penitentiary to discover what conditions are truly like,” he said.

“He is a offender,” he affirmed, but that did not mean he deserved “degrading, demeaning handling”.

Likely Jail Environment

Despite speculation that Bolsonaro could be moved to Papuda, which currently houses about fourteen thousand inmates, his more likely destination appears to be a close penitentiary for officers and other “special” prisoners known as Papudinha (Small Papuda).

His potential cell are much more pleasant than those in the larger jail, although nonetheless a far cry from the comfort Bolsonaro had while residing in the stunning official residence, around 20 kilometers away.

As per sources, the room Bolsonaro could expect to reside in in Papudinha has about 24 square meters – approximately the dimensions of a couple of car spots – and features a 130 square foot bathroom with a shower and a 12 sq metre veranda. “He could be authorized to have a television and additionally a cooler in his cell as long as they were supplied by his loved ones,” sources suggested.

Political Responses

Senator Lucas condemned the speculated idea to send the one-time head of state to Papuda as “a type of revenge” on the part of the supreme court judge who led Bolsonaro’s proceedings and will decide his future in the {