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He fought the law and the law triumphed.

A couple of months following being handed a 27-year sentence for seeking to “eradicate” the nation's democracy, one-time leader Jair Bolsonaro at last appears headed to prison.

Anticipated Imprisonment

The convicted coup-monger – who has been living under residential detention in his residence while a set of court processes and petitions play out – is widely expected to be jailed in the coming days, amid growing speculation that he will be sent to a infamous high-security prison.

Past Statements on Prisoners

During Bolsonaro’s 40-year public life, the conservative ex- military man showed little mercy for Brazil’s inmates.

“What’s the need to provide these lowlifes a good life?” he once mused. “They ought to simply be fucked, full-fucking-stop. That's my opinion.”

On another occasion, Bolsonaro declared: “If you don’t want to finish there, the only thing required is not rape, kidnap or rob.”

Jail Facility Speculation

However the idea of Bolsonaro himself landing in the Papuda prison high-security prison in Brasília has appalled backers, several of whom this week inspected the complex in an seeming attempt to prevent the high court from transferring him there.

Izalci Lucas, a politician from Bolsonaro’s allied group who was part of that quartet, claimed he predicted the 70-year-old leader to be incarcerated in the following week and a half and feared his location could be Papuda.

Lucas claimed Bolsonaro’s acute gut problems – the outcome of a almost deadly stabbing during the 2018 presidential campaign – signified it would be hazardous to keep the former president there. “His health is highly critical. He will not be able to handle it if they move him to Papuda … It could be dreadful,” said the senator, who also worried about packed cells and the quality of jail cuisine.

While visiting Papuda, Lucas recalled observing cells accommodating 40 prisoners: “That’s virtually one square meter per detainee.

“We talked to the inmates and they complain, of course, of the horrible food,” remarked the senator.

Supporters Voice Concerns

The senator isn't the lone figure voicing opinions before the one-time head of state's predicted imprisonment.

Penning in a major publication, a different supporter, the ex- government official Fábio Wajngarten, bemoaned the “severe” finale to Bolsonaro’s “impeccable” time in office and alleged Brazil was about to see “the biggest wrong in its past”.

“It is an unfairness that gnaws the spirits of many of Brazilians,” the former minister said.

Divided Popular Response

That may be accurate due to the substantial support Bolsonaro retains on the Brazilian right. But his predicted incarceration has also warmed the feelings of numerous others who feel he ought to be imprisoned for conspiring to stop the incoming president from taking power – and also scheming to have him killed.

The lawmaker, a politician for the sitting administration's political party, stated: “Not a soul wishes Bolsonaro to be put in a dungeon. Nobody wants Bolsonaro to be placed in solitary confinement. Nobody wants Bolsonaro to go hungry or for him to have to sleep on the floor. We desire him to obtain proper treatment – but proper treatment in prison. He cannot continue being his personal jailer for his whole life.”

The congressman noted how Bolsonaro allies, who have long applauding the severe conditions of convicts, had suddenly become aware to their privileges. “Just now has the extreme right – which has always claimed that civil liberties were not for criminals – chosen to tour a jail to discover what circumstances are truly like,” he remarked.

“The former president is a criminal,” the congressman maintained, but that did not mean he merited “humiliating, degrading handling”.

Possible Prison Facilities

Despite speculation that Bolsonaro could be transferred to Papuda, which presently houses about fourteen thousand prisoners, his probable location looks to be a nearby prison for police officers and other “particular” detainees referred to as Papudinha (Minor Papuda).

Its cells are considerably more pleasant than those in the larger jail, although still a world away from the opulence Bolsonaro had while residing in the spectacular leader's home, about 20 kilometers away.

As per information, the accommodation Bolsonaro could expect to occupy in Papudinha has about 24 square meters – about the size of vehicle spaces – and contains a 130 square foot bathroom with a water facility and a 12 sq metre balcony. “Bolsonaro would be authorized to have a television and even a minibar in his quarters as long as they were donated by his loved ones,” the report suggested.

Political Reactions

Senator Lucas denounced the speculated plan to send the ex-president to Papuda as “an act of revenge” on the part of the supreme court judge who presided over Bolsonaro’s proceedings and will decide his fate in the {