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He fought justice and the law prevailed.

Two months subsequent to getting a quarter-century plus sentence for attempting to “annihilate” the nation's democracy, ex-president Jair Bolsonaro now looks destined for incarceration.

Anticipated Incarceration

The convicted instigator – who had been subject to residential detention in his residence while a series of legal procedures and challenges unfold – is largely predicted to be incarcerated in the next few days, amid mounting rumors that he will be sent to a well-known maximum security prison.

Previous Remarks on Convicts

During Bolsonaro’s four-decade time in politics, the conservative former military man displayed minimal sympathy for Brazil’s prison population.

“Why should we offer these lowlifes a comfortable existence?” he previously wondered. “They ought to simply be fucked, full-fucking-stop. That's my view.”

On another occasion, Bolsonaro stated: “Should you not wish to wind up behind bars, all you have to do is to avoid sexual assault, kidnap or rob.”

Jail Destination Debate

Yet the prospect of Bolsonaro himself ending up in the Papuda prison high-security prison in Brasília has horrified allies, a group of four this week inspected the complex in an apparent attempt to prevent the judiciary from sending him there.

Izalci Lucas, a lawmaker from Bolsonaro’s Liberal party who was part of that quartet, stated he anticipated the 70-year-old figure to be jailed in the following week and a half and was concerned his location could be Papuda.

Lucas claimed Bolsonaro’s acute intestinal problems – the consequence of a life-threatening knife attack during the 2018 presidential campaign – meant it would be dangerous to keep the former president there. “His [health] situation is extremely serious. He will not be able to cope if they send him to Papuda … It will be dreadful,” said the senator, who also worried about overcrowded cells and the quality of jail cuisine.

During his tour Papuda, Lucas noted seeing cells containing four dozen inmates: “That’s practically one meter squared per prisoner.

“We talked to the convicts and they complain, unsurprisingly, of the horrible meals,” added the senator.

Backers Speak Out

Lucas is not the lone figure speaking out before the ex-leader's anticipated imprisonment.

Writing in a prominent newspaper, another ally, the former cabinet member Fábio Wajngarten, bemoaned the “brutal” finale to Bolsonaro’s “flawless” political career and asserted Brazil was about to experience “the largest wrong in its record”.

“This is an injustice that erodes the spirits of countless people in Brazil,” the former minister said.

Varied General Reaction

This could be true considering the significant backing Bolsonaro maintains on the right-wing. But his expected jailing has also pleased the hearts of many other people who think he ought to be imprisoned for plotting to prevent his successor from assuming office – and additionally conspiring to have him assassinated.

The lawmaker, a congressman for the current president's Workers’ party, stated: “No one wants Bolsonaro to be sent in a dark cell. No one wishes Bolsonaro to be placed in solitary confinement. No one desires Bolsonaro to lack food or for him to have to rest on hard ground. We want him to get respectful handling – but dignified care in prison. He can’t continue being his self-appointed guard for his entire life.”

Otoni was struck by how Bolsonaro supporters, who have long praising the tough conditions of inmates, had suddenly realized to their rights. “Only now has the far-right – which has consistently asserted that basic rights are not for lawbreakers – decided to tour a prison to find out what situations are actually like,” he said.

“Bolsonaro is a lawbreaker,” Otoni insisted, but that did not mean he merited “humiliating, demeaning treatment”.

Possible Prison Environment

Regardless of rumors that Bolsonaro could be moved to Papuda, which presently holds about fourteen thousand detainees, his probable location looks to be a nearby penitentiary for police officers and other “particular” inmates referred to as Papudinha (Minor Papuda).

His potential cell are far more adequate than those in the main prison, although nonetheless a world away from the luxury Bolsonaro enjoyed while occupying the impressive leader's home, around a short distance away.

Based on reports, the room Bolsonaro could expect to reside in in Papudinha is about 24 sq metres – approximately the size of a couple of car spots – and includes a 12 square meter WC with a shower and a 130 square foot veranda. “The ex-president might be authorized to have a TV and even a minibar in his cell as long as they were provided by his relatives,” sources stated.

Political Responses

The lawmaker criticized the speculated idea to send the ex-president to Papuda as “an act of revenge” on the part of the judicial authority who led Bolsonaro’s legal case and will determine his outcome in the {