Brazil’s Bolsonaro finds novel way to reduce 27-year sentence: reading books

The Guardian - World NewsCenter-LeftEN 2 min read 100% complete by Tom Phillips in Rio de JaneiroJanuary 16, 2026 at 02:19 PM

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Jair Bolsonaro, the former Brazilian president sentenced to 27 years for plotting a coup, is attempting to reduce his sentence by participating in a program that allows inmates to shorten their prison time by reading books. A supreme court judge authorized Bolsonaro's participation after a request from his legal team. Brazilian law allows for a four-day sentence reduction for each book read, contingent on submitting written reports proving comprehension. The approved reading list includes works on Indigenous rights, racism, environmental issues, and the violence of Brazil's former dictatorship, a regime Bolsonaro previously supported. Some books on the list are quite lengthy, and it is unclear if Bolsonaro, who once claimed he didn't have time to read, will actually complete the program.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Brasília 40% Leo Tolstoy 40% Miguel de Cervantes 40% Winston Churchill 40% Marcelo Rubens Paiva 50% Ana Maria Gonçalves 50% Philip Bunting 50% Carlos Alberto Brilhante Ustra ×260% Brazil ×690% Jair Bolsonaro ×895%

Keywords

jair bolsonaro 100% sentence reduction 90% reading books 80% brazilian dictatorship 70% brazilian law 70% prison sentence 70% coup 60% penal code 60% indigenous rights 50%