Jailhouse Shock: The Ex-President Bolsonaro Confronts Time Behind Bars

He battled the legal system and the legal system prevailed.

Sixty days after getting a 27-year sentence for attempting to “eradicate” the nation's democratic institutions, one-time leader Jair Bolsonaro finally appears headed to prison.

Imminent Incarceration

The found-guilty coup-monger – who had been living under residential detention in his mansion while a number of court processes and petitions proceed – is widely expected to be jailed in the near future, during increasing rumors that he will be moved to a infamous high-security penitentiary.

Previous Comments on Convicts

During Bolsonaro’s 40-year time in politics, the far-right former soldier displayed little compassion for Brazil’s jailed individuals.

“Why should we give these dirtbags a comfortable existence?” he previously wondered. “They should just get fucked, period. That’s what I reckon.”

In another instance, Bolsonaro proclaimed: “Unless you desire to end up behind bars, you simply need is not sexual assault, kidnap or rob.”

Prison Facility Speculation

Yet the prospect of Bolsonaro himself winding up in the Papuda top-security prison in Brasília has appalled supporters, four of whom this week toured the complex in an apparent attempt to prevent the judiciary from banishing him there.

Izalci Lucas, a lawmaker from Bolsonaro’s allied group who was part of that quartet, stated he expected the septuagenarian figure to be jailed in the coming fortnight and worried his assigned prison could be Papuda.

Lucas claimed Bolsonaro’s serious gut issues – the outcome of a almost deadly stabbing during the 2018 presidential campaign – meant it would be risky to keep the one-time head of state there. “His condition is highly critical. He won’t be able to cope if they take him to Papuda … It will be awful,” he commented, who also voiced anxiety about overcrowded cells and the quality of inmate food.

When inspecting Papuda, Lucas noted seeing cells containing 40 inmates: “That is virtually one square meter per prisoner.

“We talked to the prisoners and they complain, naturally, of the awful meals,” added the senator.

Supporters Voice Concerns

The senator isn't the only voice expressing views prior to the ex-leader's expected incarceration.

Authoring in a leading daily, another ally, the former communications minister Fábio Wajngarten, lamented the “harsh” finale to Bolsonaro’s “spotless” time in office and alleged Brazil was about to experience “the biggest political injustice in its history”.

“It represents an wrong that eats away the souls of millions Brazilian citizens,” he stated.

Mixed General Response

That may be correct due to the considerable following Bolsonaro maintains on the conservative side. However his expected imprisonment has also warmed the spirits of numerous others who feel he deserves to be jailed for planning to block his successor from taking power – and also plotting to have him killed.

The lawmaker, a politician for the incumbent president's political party, stated: “No one wants Bolsonaro to be sent in a dark cell. Nobody wishes Bolsonaro to be put in segregation. No one wants Bolsonaro to go hungry or for him to have to sleep on the floor. We desire him to obtain dignified treatment – but dignified care in prison. He cannot persist being his self-appointed guard for his entire life.”

Otoni was struck by how Bolsonaro backers, who have long celebrating the tough conditions of inmates, had suddenly realized to their entitlements. “Just now has the far-right – which has consistently asserted that basic rights are not for lawbreakers – chosen to visit a penitentiary to find out what circumstances are truly like,” he remarked.

“Bolsonaro is a offender,” he affirmed, but that did not mean he deserved “humiliating, insulting conduct”.

Potential Jail Environment

In spite of speculation that Bolsonaro could be moved to Papuda, which now contains about 14,000 detainees, his expected assigned facility seems to be a nearby prison for police officers and other “unique” detainees referred to as Papudinha (Small Papuda).

Its cells are much more comfortable than those in the primary facility, although nonetheless a distant from the luxury Bolsonaro enjoyed while residing in the stunning official residence, about 20 kilometers away.

Based on reports, the room Bolsonaro could expect to reside in in Papudinha is about 260 square feet – approximately the area of a couple of car spots – and features a 12 sq metre WC with a water facility and a 12 square meter balcony. “The ex-president might be permitted to have a set and even a minibar in his quarters as long as they were donated by his relatives,” the report stated.

Political Reactions

Senator Lucas denounced the talked-about proposal to send the ex-president to Papuda as “an act of payback” on the part of the presiding magistrate who led Bolsonaro’s coup trial and will decide his future in the {

David West
David West

A digital artist and design consultant with over a decade of experience in visual storytelling and creative innovation.