Sentence Reduction for Prisoners by Reading Books in Brazil

In Brazil, there is an official practice where inmates can shorten their prison sentences by reading books. This program, known as “Remission through Reading” (Remição pela Leitura), is a legal process implemented in both federal and state prisons across Brazil.

How the Remission through Reading Program Works

The basic functioning of the system is as follows:

Amount of Reduction: Inmates can earn a 4-day reduction from their sentences for each book they read.
Annual Limit: An inmate can benefit from this right by reading a maximum of 12 books per year; this means a total sentence reduction of up to 48 days annually.
Verification Mechanism: The inmate must prove that they have genuinely read and understood the book. For this, inmates prepare a report, summary, or review about the book they have read. These works are examined and evaluated by a committee established by the prison administration.
Program Goal: The main objectives of the application are to alleviate the problem of prison overcrowding, increase inmates’ education level and literacy, and support their social reintegration processes through a rehabilitative activity.

This program has been implemented since 2012 and was standardized nationwide in 2021. Most recently, in early 2026, the request by former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to shorten his prison sentence for “planning a coup” by reading books under this program was approved by the court, drawing international media attention to the issue once again.

The Bolsonaro Incident

The situation concerning Jair Bolsonaro is based precisely on these coup attempt accusations. The process unfolded as follows:

Source of Accusation: After losing the presidential elections in 2022, Bolsonaro was accused of leading a conspiracy to remain in power and overturn the democratic order, even planning a coup.
Judicial Process: As a result of the trial conducted by the Brazilian Supreme Court regarding these accusations, on September 12, 2025, Bolsonaro was sentenced to 27 years and 3 months in prison. This decision garnered significant attention as he was the first former president in Brazilian history to be found guilty of attempting to coup democratic institutions.
Execution of Sentence: As of November 2025, the court ruled that the sentence was final and that the execution process should begin. Bolsonaro was taken into custody during this process.

This process in Brazil is a multilayered event, encompassing both a “coup attempt” trial that made legal history and prison reforms. Here is a chronological and technical summary of the process:

The Bolsonaro Case: Chronological and Technical Summary

1. The Coup Attempt and Judicial Process

Accusations: Jair Bolsonaro was accused of undermining the democratic order after losing the 2022 elections. Evidence added to the case by the court included plans to dissolve the Supreme Court, attempts to declare a state of emergency by granting broad powers to the army, and allegations of preparing an assassination attempt against the elected government.
Verdict: On September 12, 2025, the Brazilian Supreme Court sentenced Bolsonaro to 27 years and 3 months in prison for “planning a coup to subvert the democratic order“. This decision was described as “historic” as he was the first former president in Brazilian history to be convicted of a coup offense.
Finalization: As of November 26, 2025, all appeal avenues were exhausted, and the court ruled for the immediate execution of the sentence.

2. The “Remission through Reading” (Remição pela Leitura) Mechanism

Upon the finalization of Bolsonaro’s 27-year sentence, his lawyers applied to the Supreme Court to activate the “Remission through Reading” program within the Brazilian penal enforcement system.

System Rule: In Brazil, inmates can earn a 4-day sentence reduction for every book they read. The annual limit is 12 books (48 days reduction).
Approval: The judiciary ruled that the inmate could use this general right, regardless of their status, and approved Bolsonaro’s inclusion in the program.

3. The Ironic and Challenging Aspect of the Process

This situation is considered highly ironic in public opinion, as a politician “not known for reading habits” will be forced to read on subjects ideologically diametrically opposed to his views:

Proof Requirement: Bolsonaro does not merely need to say “I finished the book.” He must prepare a written report or summary about each book he reads, submit it to the prison administration, and have this work found “sufficient” by a committee.
Reading List: The fact that the approved reading list includes works that conflict with Bolsonaro’s political stance (anti-racist, minority rights, and critical of the dictatorship-era violence in Brazil) shows that the process has become a significantly challenging intellectual test for the former president.

In summary, the process is legally in the enforcement stage, and politically, it is progressing through a rehabilitation phase where Bolsonaro is compelled to read and analyze texts that contradict his past views.

Did Bolsonaro Have Reading Habits?

The public perception of Bolsonaro’s reading habits is generally based on a profile of low intellectual curiosity. Therefore, his inclusion in the prison reading program to shorten his sentence is met with considerable irony and even some humor in Brazilian and international public opinion.

The main reasons for this perception are:

Political Rhetoric: During his tenure, Bolsonaro was prominent not for books but for social media use, live broadcasts directly addressing his constituents, and populist rhetoric. He prioritized “field” and “street” narratives rather than scientific data or literary works.
Academic and Cultural Approach: Throughout his time in office, he frequently clashed with universities, intellectual circles, and the art world in Brazil. This reinforced his image of exhibiting an “anti-intellectual” stance rather than intellectual depth.
Ironic Process: People view a leader who once disparaged the influence of universities or academic publications now being forced to “read books and prepare analysis reports” to reduce his own sentence as a kind of “twist of fate“.

In short, this is not just a sentence reduction method, but also a rather surprising and controversial process of “adaptation” that contradicts Bolsonaro’s public image.

Jair Bolsonaro’s political identity has often been described as “anti-intellectual” by academic and intellectual circles in Brazil. This characterization is not merely an insult or a difference in political opinion, but has been shaped by his concrete policies and rhetoric.

Bolsonaro’s Anti-Intellectual Identity

Here are the main justifications behind this assessment:

1. Distrust of Expert Knowledge

Bolsonaro, throughout his term, exhibited an open skeptical attitude towards academic expertise, scientific data, and technical knowledge.

Pandemic Period: During the COVID-19 pandemic, he frequently characterized warnings from scientific organizations and recommendations from health experts as “dangerous” or “exaggerated“. He prioritized his own intuitive approaches or unproven treatment methods (e.g., hydroxychloroquine use) over scientific data.
Environmental Policies: He labeled reports from scientists working on the preservation of the Amazon rainforest as “foreign conspiracies” against national interests.

2. “Street vs. Elites” Dichotomy

Bolsonaro, like many other populist leaders, used language that divided society into “the people” and “the elites“.

In this context, universities, media organizations, and art circles were coded as “corrupt elites“.
He portrayed educated individuals, those with academic careers, or those working in traditional media institutions as “those living in ivory towers” disconnected from the realities of ordinary Brazilian people.

3. Intervention in the Education System

His anti-intellectual stance was not limited to rhetoric; it also reflected in institutional policies:

Attack on Humanities: He argued that funding for university departments working in fields such as philosophy, sociology, and history should be cut. He claimed these departments spread “cultural Marxism” and undermined the country’s conservative values.
Curriculum Debates: He emphasized that the education curriculum should be drawn along a more “traditional” and “patriotic” line, taking steps that threatened academic autonomy and plurality in education.

4. An Ironic Comeback

His current inclusion in the prison reading program creates a diametrically opposite image to the “anti-intellectual” stance he exhibited throughout his political career against academic and intellectual institutions. A figure who once criticized universities as “nests of the left” trying to reduce his sentence today through an educational mechanism provided by that system (reading books and performing analysis) is noted as one of the most ironic scenarios in Brazilian political history.