Brazil's former President Bolsonaro to Read Books to Reduce Sentence by Four Days Per Title
Jair Bolsonaro's lawyers have found a novel way for their client to reduce his 27-year prison sentence: reading books. The former far-right Brazilian president, known for his lack of interest in literature, will now be able to cut his sentence by four days for each title read under the country's penal code.
This literary loophole was made possible after Bolsonaro's legal team submitted a request to a supreme court judge to participate in the scheme. The book-reading inmates can reduce their sentences as long as they submit written reports detailing what they've read.
Bolsonaro, who has been infamous for his disdain towards democracy and minorities, is unlikely to appreciate the approved reading list, which features Brazilian works on Indigenous rights, racism, the environment, and the violence met by the country's 1964-85 dictatorship – a regime he openly supported.
The reading list includes titles such as Ana Maria Gonçalves' 950-page "Um Defeito de Cor" (A Colour Defect), which tells the history of Brazil from a Black woman's perspective, and Philip Bunting's children's non-fiction picture book "Democracy!". The books on the list range from Tolstoy to Cervantes, with some titles boasting over 1,000 pages.
In order to benefit from the sentence reduction scheme, prisoners must prove they have actually read the books by submitting written reports to prison authorities. This is a far cry from Bolsonaro's previous claim that he had no time to read and only read one book in three years.
This move may be seen as an attempt by Bolsonaro's lawyers to capitalize on his lack of interest in reading, given the former president's past support for the authoritarian regime that inspired some of the books on the approved reading list.
Jair Bolsonaro's lawyers have found a novel way for their client to reduce his 27-year prison sentence: reading books. The former far-right Brazilian president, known for his lack of interest in literature, will now be able to cut his sentence by four days for each title read under the country's penal code.
This literary loophole was made possible after Bolsonaro's legal team submitted a request to a supreme court judge to participate in the scheme. The book-reading inmates can reduce their sentences as long as they submit written reports detailing what they've read.
Bolsonaro, who has been infamous for his disdain towards democracy and minorities, is unlikely to appreciate the approved reading list, which features Brazilian works on Indigenous rights, racism, the environment, and the violence met by the country's 1964-85 dictatorship – a regime he openly supported.
The reading list includes titles such as Ana Maria Gonçalves' 950-page "Um Defeito de Cor" (A Colour Defect), which tells the history of Brazil from a Black woman's perspective, and Philip Bunting's children's non-fiction picture book "Democracy!". The books on the list range from Tolstoy to Cervantes, with some titles boasting over 1,000 pages.
In order to benefit from the sentence reduction scheme, prisoners must prove they have actually read the books by submitting written reports to prison authorities. This is a far cry from Bolsonaro's previous claim that he had no time to read and only read one book in three years.
This move may be seen as an attempt by Bolsonaro's lawyers to capitalize on his lack of interest in reading, given the former president's past support for the authoritarian regime that inspired some of the books on the approved reading list.
. like, what kinda guy reads 950-page book and then gets to reduce sentence by four days? sounds like a joke 
. but i guess it's better than nothing, right? 
. it's actually kinda cool that he's gonna have to read books about Indigenous rights and racism tho 
. maybe it'll be a wake-up call for him or something 
. anywayz, gotta wonder how many days he'll actually spend reading those books vs just filling out his report 
whole thing... like I get it Jair needs to serve his time but can't they just give him a book that's not gonna make him uncomfortable? Reading 950-page Tolstoy novel when you're used to tweeting far-right propaganda is just gonna be super tough, if you ask me. And honestly who thought this was a good idea anyway? Prison sentences are meant for rehabilitation not literary indulgence... meanwhile I'll be over here trying to finish my own reading list without any controversy 
However, one can't help but wonder what Bolsonaro really gets out of this deal. Is it just about reducing his sentence or is there more to it? 
u gotta love how this is all goin down! Like, Jair Bolsonaro, the guy who's been all about tearin' down democracy and minorities, now he gets to chill in prison by readin' some heavy stuff 
. And let's be real, these books are gonna make him think 
. Like, "Um Defeito de Cor" is all about seein' Brazil through a Black woman's lens... that's some heavy stuff, Jair! Maybe this is his chance to get woke 
. I mean, I guess it's better than nothing, but still... feels like a way for his lawyers to pad his sentence reduction 
. I'm all for people serving their time, but come on, can't we expect more from a former head of state who's basically getting off easy?
like anyone actually believes he's gonna read Tolstoy or Cervantes... please 
whats the point of him reading these books just gonna write some watered down summary and call it a day? 
. And can you imagine him reading Philip Bunting's children's book about democracy? 
. Guess this is one way to stay relevant in prison...or not 
. Maybe they should be focusing on actual rehabilitation or something instead of using a book-reading loophole 
I guess that's one way to keep him occupied while he's doing his time. I feel bad for the dude, though - reading those books is gonna be a real challenge for someone with his history 