Adjusting to Prison Life: Robinho’s New Reality
Former Brazilian football star Robinho has begun his incarceration at Tremembé prison in São Paulo following his conviction in a 2017 Italian court for a 2013 incident involving the group assault of a 22-year-old woman in Milan. Transitioning from a lifestyle marked by the luxury of professional sports, where he boasted a net worth estimated at $60 million, Robinho now faces a starkly different existence within the confines of a facility notorious for its harsh conditions. Brazilian prisons, often described as “hell on earth,” demand a significant adjustment for the former athlete.
Regulated Possessions: What Robinho Can Have in Prison
In Tremembé prison, the allowed personal items for Robinho are tightly controlled to ensure safety and order. He is permitted a limited array of clothing, including two pairs of low-heeled shoes, simple rubber flip-flops, and specific articles of clothing in beige or khaki without buttons, zippers, or drawstrings. For personal hygiene, the allowed items include basic necessities such as toothpaste, disposable razors, soap, and deodorant. All personal items must meet strict guidelines to be deemed permissible within the prison.
Navigating a System in Crisis
Robinho’s incarceration places him within a penal system overwhelmed by severe overcrowding and governance challenges. Brazil’s prisons house around 600,000 inmates in spaces designed for 380,000, leading to rampant issues with violence, unsanitary conditions, and internal control by inmate-led factions. Human Rights Watch has criticized the Brazilian penitentiary system as a “human-rights catastrophe,” noting that control is often in the hands of powerful gang-affiliated inmates who regulate everything from drug distribution to sleeping arrangements. This grim reality underscores the profound changes Robinho must adapt to as he serves his sentence under intense scrutiny and without the comforts previously afforded by his football career.