Former Rio Governor Sérgio Cabral Sentenced to Pay Fines for Prison Privileges

The 4th Chamber of Public Law of the Rio de Janeiro Court of Justice has sentenced former Governor Sérgio Cabral to pay R$ 1 million in collective moral damages and a fine equal to 12 times his final salary as governor. The ruling follows an investigation into a system of privileges Cabral received while incarcerated at the Benfica and Bangu 8 prisons between 2016 and 2018. Six public officials, including the former Secretary of Penitentiary Administration, were also convicted and ordered to pay fines and R$ 100,000 each in moral damages.

Evidence presented by the Public Ministry of Rio detailed a wide array of prohibited items and services. These included a 65 inch television, a home theater system, and a DVD player, which were allegedly brought in via a fraudulent donation from a religious entity that later denied the claim. Other privileges included luxury foods such as shrimp, cheeses, and cod, as well as exclusive access to specialized mattresses, water filters, and gym equipment. Prohibited electrical appliances, including a sandwich maker and portable heaters, were also found in his cell.

Beyond physical goods, the court found that Cabral received privileged visits. Family members and authorities allegedly bypassed standard security lines and schedules. Investigations also revealed that pages were missing from the prison's visitor log and that camera systems had failures. The relator of the case, Judge Caetano Ernesto da Fonseca Costa, stated that these actions damaged the principle of impersonality and public trust in the prison system.

Cabral's defense argued that he was acquitted of these accusations in criminal court and claimed that the civil conviction is unreasonable. While the center-left source focused on the specific nature of the luxuries to highlight the absurdity of the perks, the center-right source framed the event as a systemic failure of the penitentiary administration and a breach of public trust.