🔗 Share this article Jailhouse Surprise: The Ex-President Jair Bolsonaro Faces Time Behind Bars He fought justice and justice won. Two months after being handed a twenty-seven-year sentence for trying to “eradicate” the nation's democratic institutions, ex-president Jair Bolsonaro finally appears headed to prison. Imminent Jailing The convicted coup-monger – who had been under house arrest in his estate while a number of court processes and challenges proceed – is largely predicted to be incarcerated in the near future, during mounting rumors that he will be transferred to a well-known maximum security facility. Past Statements on Prisoners During Bolsonaro’s four-decade time in politics, the far-right former paratrooper showed minimal mercy for Brazil’s jailed individuals. “Why should we provide these lowlifes a easy time?” he once pondered. “They should just get messed, full-fucking-stop. That’s what I reckon.” At another time, Bolsonaro proclaimed: “Unless you desire to wind up behind bars, the only thing required is to avoid rape, kidnap or rob.” Incarceration Facility Debate Yet the possibility of Bolsonaro himself ending up in the Papuda maximum security prison in Brasília has appalled supporters, several of whom this week visited the complex in an seeming attempt to discourage the high court from sending him there. Izalci Lucas, a senator from Bolsonaro’s Liberal party who was among that group, claimed he anticipated the 70-year-old leader to be jailed in the coming fortnight and was concerned his destination could be Papuda. The senator argued Bolsonaro’s acute digestive issues – the result of a near-fatal knife attack during the 2018 political campaign – meant it would be dangerous to keep the one-time head of state there. “His [health] situation is very grave. He cannot to cope if they take him to Papuda … It could be awful,” he added, who also expressed concern about cramped cells and the condition of inmate food. When inspecting Papuda, Lucas remembered witnessing cells accommodating four dozen inmates: “That’s practically one square meter per detainee. “We talked to the prisoners and they complain, of course, of the awful meals,” continued the senator. Supporters Voice Concerns Lucas is not the only voice voicing opinions prior to the ex-leader's predicted detention. Authoring in a major publication, another ally, the ex- communications minister Fábio Wajngarten, lamented the “severe” finale to Bolsonaro’s “impeccable” political career and asserted Brazil was about to see “the biggest political injustice in its record”. “It represents an unfairness that eats away the hearts of millions people in Brazil,” the former minister said. Mixed Popular Reaction This could be accurate considering the considerable support Bolsonaro holds on the right-wing. However his predicted incarceration has also warmed the feelings of numerous others who think he deserves to be incarcerated for conspiring to prevent the elected leader from becoming president – and also plotting to have him killed. Reimont Otoni, a politician for the current administration's Workers’ party, commented: “No one wants Bolsonaro to be sent in a dungeon. Not a soul desires Bolsonaro to be sent in segregation. No one desires Bolsonaro to lack food or for him to have to rest on hard ground. We desire him to get proper treatment – but dignified care behind bars. He must not continue being his own prison warden for his entire life.” He observed how Bolsonaro allies, who have long praising the tough treatment of prisoners, had unexpectedly woken up to their rights. “Recently has the conservative fringe – which has consistently claimed that human rights were not for criminals – chosen to visit a prison to learn what conditions are really like,” he stated. “He is a criminal,” the congressman maintained, but that did not mean he deserved “humiliating, degrading treatment”. Possible Jail Environment In spite of speculation that Bolsonaro could be sent to Papuda, which presently holds about 14,000 prisoners, his expected assigned facility looks to be a nearby jail for officers and other “unique” inmates referred to as Papudinha (Small Papuda). Its cells are much more adequate than those in the main prison, although nonetheless a far cry from the opulence Bolsonaro had while living in the spectacular presidential palace, approximately 20 kilometers away. As per information, the room Bolsonaro could expect to reside in in Papudinha measures about 24 square meters – roughly the dimensions of two parking spaces – and contains a 12 square meter restroom with a shower and a 130 square foot terrace. “He could be permitted to have a set and additionally a small fridge in his quarters as long as they were provided by his family,” the report stated. Political Responses The lawmaker criticized the rumoured idea to send the one-time head of state to Papuda as “a form of revenge” on the part of the judicial authority who led Bolsonaro’s proceedings and will decide his outcome in the {