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He fought the legal system and the legal system prevailed.

A couple of months after being handed a quarter-century plus sentence for trying to “destroy” the nation's democratic institutions, one-time leader Jair Bolsonaro now appears destined for incarceration.

Anticipated Incarceration

The found-guilty plotter – who had been under residential detention in his residence while a number of court processes and petitions unfold – is widely expected to be imprisoned in the next few days, amidst growing talk that he will be transferred to a notorious maximum security penitentiary.

Historical Comments on Convicts

Throughout Bolsonaro’s four-decade public life, the conservative former paratrooper showed little mercy for Brazil’s prison population.

“Why should we offer these scoundrels a easy time?” he once mused. “They should just get screwed, full-fucking-stop. That's my opinion.”

At another time, Bolsonaro declared: “Unless you desire to wind up behind bars, the only thing required is to avoid rape, abduction or rob.”

Jail Location Discussion

Yet the possibility of Bolsonaro himself ending up in the Papuda prison high-security prison in Brasília has appalled allies, four of whom this week toured the complex in an apparent effort to dissuade the judiciary from transferring him there.

Izalci Lucas, a politician from Bolsonaro’s political party who was among that group, claimed he anticipated the 70-year-old leader to be incarcerated in the next 10 days and feared his assigned prison could be Papuda.

The senator argued Bolsonaro’s severe gut problems – the outcome of a life-threatening assault during the last political campaign – signified it would be hazardous to keep the former president there. “His health is very grave. He won’t be able to cope if they send him to Papuda … It could be awful,” said the senator, who also expressed concern about overcrowded cells and the condition of prison meals.

When inspecting Papuda, Lucas noted observing cells accommodating forty detainees: “That is almost one meter squared per detainee.

“We conversed to the convicts and they grumble, naturally, of the horrible food,” continued the senator.

Backers Voice Concerns

The senator isn't the only voice voicing opinions before the former president’s predicted imprisonment.

Writing in a leading newspaper, another ally, the ex- communications minister Fábio Wajngarten, bemoaned the “severe” finale to Bolsonaro’s “impeccable” political career and alleged Brazil was about to see “the biggest political injustice in its past”.

“It represents an injustice that gnaws the souls of many Brazilian citizens,” he stated.

Varied Popular Response

That may be true given the significant following Bolsonaro maintains on the conservative side. However his expected imprisonment has also warmed the feelings of numerous others who think he should be imprisoned for planning to block the elected leader from assuming office – and even plotting to have him killed.

The lawmaker, a representative for the current president's political party, said: “No one wishes Bolsonaro to be sent in a dungeon. Nobody desires Bolsonaro to be sent in segregation. Nobody wishes Bolsonaro to go hungry or for him to have to sleep on the floor. We desire him to receive proper treatment – but dignified treatment in prison. He must not carry on being his self-appointed guard for his entire life.”

He observed how Bolsonaro supporters, who have for a long time applauding the severe handling of convicts, had unexpectedly realized to their rights. “Just now has the far-right – which has always asserted that human rights should not be for criminals – decided to visit a prison to learn what circumstances are actually like,” he remarked.

“The former president is a lawbreaker,” the congressman maintained, but that did not mean he merited “humiliating, demeaning conduct”.

Likely Incarceration Conditions

Despite talk that Bolsonaro could be sent to Papuda, which currently contains about fourteen thousand detainees, his probable destination appears to be a adjacent prison for law enforcement and other “unique” prisoners referred to as Papudinha (Minor Papuda).

The accommodations are considerably more pleasant than those in the primary facility, although nonetheless a far cry from the luxury Bolsonaro enjoyed while occupying the stunning official residence, about 12 miles away.

As per reports, the room Bolsonaro could anticipate reside in in Papudinha is about 260 square feet – about the dimensions of vehicle spaces – and includes a 12 sq metre restroom with a water facility and a 12 square meter balcony. “Bolsonaro would be allowed to have a TV and even a minibar in his room as long as they were provided by his relatives,” the report indicated.

Partisan Reactions

He denounced the rumoured idea to send the former leader to Papuda as “a type of revenge” on the part of the judicial authority who led Bolsonaro’s proceedings and will rule on his outcome in the {