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He fought justice and the legal system triumphed.

Two months subsequent to being handed a quarter-century plus sentence for trying to “destroy” Brazil’s political system, former president Jair Bolsonaro finally appears destined for incarceration.

Anticipated Jailing

The found-guilty instigator – who's been living under residential detention in his residence while a series of court processes and appeals unfold – is largely predicted to be jailed in the near future, amidst increasing talk that he will be transferred to a well-known top-security penitentiary.

Previous Remarks on Convicts

During Bolsonaro’s 40-year time in politics, the right-wing former soldier showed minimal sympathy for the country's jailed individuals.

“What’s the need to give those dirtbags a easy time?” he once mused. “They deserve to be fucked, period. That’s what I reckon.”

In another instance, Bolsonaro proclaimed: “Unless you desire to finish in prison, all you have to do is not sexual assault, kidnap or theft.”

Prison Location Debate

But the prospect of Bolsonaro himself ending up in the Papuda maximum security prison in Brasília has horrified backers, several of whom this week inspected the prison in an seeming bid to prevent the judiciary from transferring him there.

Izalci Lucas, a politician from Bolsonaro’s political party who was one of the visitors, claimed he predicted the 70-year-old leader to be imprisoned in the following week and a half and worried his assigned prison could be Papuda.

Lucas claimed Bolsonaro’s serious intestinal problems – the consequence of a almost deadly assault during the 2018 presidential political campaign – implied it would be dangerous to keep the ex-leader there. “His condition is extremely serious. He will not be able to manage if they take him to Papuda … It would be terrible,” said the senator, who also voiced anxiety about overcrowded cells and the standard of jail cuisine.

During his tour Papuda, Lucas recalled observing cells accommodating four dozen prisoners: “That’s practically one square meter per detainee.

“We spoke to the inmates and they grumble, unsurprisingly, of the terrible food,” continued the senator.

Supporters Voice Concerns

The senator isn't the sole person voicing opinions ahead of the former president’s anticipated imprisonment.

Writing in a prominent publication, a different supporter, the ex- cabinet member Fábio Wajngarten, lamented the “brutal” end to Bolsonaro’s “impeccable” public service and asserted Brazil was about to witness “the biggest unfairness in its past”.

“This is an wrong that gnaws the hearts of countless of Brazilians,” Wajngarten wrote.

Divided Public Response

It is possibly correct given the considerable support Bolsonaro retains on the Brazilian right. Yet his anticipated imprisonment has also pleased the feelings of numerous individuals who think he deserves to be jailed for planning to stop the incoming president from taking power – and also scheming to have him assassinated.

The lawmaker, a representative for the sitting president's political party, said: “No one wishes Bolsonaro to be sent in a dark cell. Nobody wishes Bolsonaro to be placed in solitary confinement. No one wishes Bolsonaro not to be fed or for him to have to sleep on the floor. We desire him to obtain proper handling – but respectful care in prison. He must not continue being his self-appointed guard for his whole life.”

The congressman noted how Bolsonaro supporters, who have for a long time applauding the severe handling of prisoners, had abruptly woken up to their entitlements. “Only now has the far-right – which has repeatedly claimed that civil liberties should not be for criminals – decided to inspect a prison to discover what conditions are really like,” he stated.

“He is a offender,” the congressman maintained, but that did not mean he merited “degrading, demeaning treatment”.

Potential Jail Conditions

In spite of talk that Bolsonaro could be sent to Papuda, which now houses about fourteen thousand prisoners, his expected assigned facility looks to be a nearby penitentiary for police officers and other “particular” inmates known as Papudinha (Minor Papuda).

Its cells are considerably more adequate than those in the larger jail, although still a world away from the luxury Bolsonaro had while occupying the impressive official residence, approximately a short distance away.

According to sources, the cell Bolsonaro could anticipate occupy in Papudinha is about 24 sq metres – about the area of vehicle spaces – and contains a 12 square meter bathroom with a bathing area and a 12 square meter terrace. “He could be permitted to have a TV and even a minibar in his cell as long as they were donated by his loved ones,” the report indicated.

Ideological Comments

Senator Lucas condemned the speculated proposal to send the ex-president to Papuda as “a type of revenge” on the part of the judicial authority who led Bolsonaro’s proceedings and will decide his fate in the {