Jailhouse Shock: The FormerPresident Bolsonaro Confronts Life in Prison
He fought justice and the legal system won.
A couple of months subsequent to receiving a twenty-seven-year sentence for seeking to “destroy” Brazil’s democracy, one-time leader Jair Bolsonaro now seems jail-bound.
Expected Imprisonment
The adjudicated plotter – who has been living under home confinement in his mansion while a set of court processes and appeals proceed – is largely predicted to be jailed in the near future, amid increasing speculation that he will be moved to a infamous maximum security facility.
Historical Statements on Convicts
Throughout Bolsonaro’s 40-year political career, the far-right ex- paratrooper showed minimal compassion for the country's prison population.
“Why should we offer these dirtbags a good life?” he once pondered. “They deserve to be messed, end of story. That's my view.”
At another time, Bolsonaro proclaimed: “Should you not wish to end up in prison, the only thing required is not rape, abduction or theft.”
Incarceration Facility Discussion
But the idea of Bolsonaro himself landing in the Papuda prison high-security prison in Brasília has shocked supporters, a group of four this week toured the prison in an apparent attempt to discourage the supreme court from transferring him there.
Senator Lucas, a lawmaker from Bolsonaro’s allied group who was among that group, stated he expected the septuagenarian figure to be incarcerated in the following week and a half and feared his destination could be Papuda.
The senator argued Bolsonaro’s serious intestinal problems – the consequence of a almost deadly stabbing during the last political campaign – meant it would be risky to keep the ex-leader there. “His health is extremely serious. He cannot to cope if they take him to Papuda … It will be dreadful,” he added, who also worried about cramped cells and the quality of prison meals.
During his tour Papuda, Lucas recalled witnessing cells holding 40 detainees: “That is almost one square metre per inmate.
“We conversed to the inmates and they grumble, naturally, of the awful meals,” added the senator.
Allies Speak Out
Lucas is not the only voice expressing views ahead of the ex-leader's predicted incarceration.
Authoring in a prominent daily, a different supporter, the former communications minister Fábio Wajngarten, deplored the “severe” finale to Bolsonaro’s “flawless” political career and alleged Brazil was about to witness “the largest wrong in its history”.
“It represents an injustice that erodes the souls of countless of Brazilians,” the former minister said.
Varied Popular Reaction
It is possibly correct considering the considerable support Bolsonaro holds on the conservative side. Yet his predicted imprisonment has also gladdened the feelings of many others who feel he deserves to be incarcerated for conspiring to prevent the incoming president from becoming president – and even conspiring to have him assassinated.
Congressman Otoni, a congressman for the sitting administration's allied group, stated: “Not a soul wishes Bolsonaro to be placed in a dungeon. Not a soul desires Bolsonaro to be put in segregation. Not a soul wishes Bolsonaro not to be fed or for him to have to sleep on the floor. We wish him to receive dignified care – but dignified handling behind bars. He cannot carry on being his self-appointed guard for his whole life.”
He observed how Bolsonaro backers, who have for a long time applauding the severe treatment of prisoners, had suddenly realized to their privileges. “Only now has the extreme right – which has repeatedly claimed that basic rights are not for offenders – chosen to visit a prison to discover what situations are truly like,” he said.
“He is a offender,” he affirmed, but that did not mean he merited “degrading, demeaning conduct”.
Potential Jail Facilities
In spite of speculation that Bolsonaro could be transferred to Papuda, which currently holds about 14,000 detainees, his expected assigned facility appears to be a nearby jail for officers and other “special” prisoners referred to as Papudinha (Little Papuda).
Its cells are far more pleasant than those in the main prison, although nevertheless a world away from the luxury Bolsonaro had while living in the spectacular official residence, approximately 12 miles away.
Based on reports, the room Bolsonaro could anticipate inhabit in Papudinha measures about 24 square meters – approximately the area of vehicle spaces – and features a 130 square foot restroom with a water facility and a 12 sq metre veranda. “Bolsonaro would be allowed to have a TV and even a cooler in his quarters as long as they were donated by his family,” the report indicated.
Ideological Reactions
He condemned the speculated idea to send the ex-president to Papuda as “a form of retaliation” on the part of the supreme court judge who presided over Bolsonaro’s proceedings and will determine his future in the {