Kalief Browder, 16: 3 Years in Hell, Destroyed by Injustice

Kalief Browder, arrested at 16 on suspicion of stealing a backpack, held without trial in solitary for 3 years at Rikers. His story exposes injustice.

At just 16 years old, Kalief Browder’s life was shattered when he was arrested on suspicion of stealing a backpack. Wrongfully held without trial, Kalief spent 3 agonizing years in solitary confinement at Rikers Island, a fate that exposed the deep flaws in the criminal justice system. His tragic story highlights the devastating consequences of systemic injustice and the urgent need for reform.

Kalief Browder’s siblings on new docu-series, calling for justice reform

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8 mrt 2017

‘Time: The Kalief Browder Story,’ produced by the Weinstein Company and Jay-Z, attempts to further humanize the young man who spent years at Rikers without a conviction.

“A School for Suicide”: How Kalief Browder Learned to Kill Himself During 3 Years at Rikers Jail

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Kalief Browder left home for a birthday party when he was 16.

When he came home three years later, he wasn’t the same person.

Police arrested the Bronx teenager on suspicion of stealing a backpack in 2010. Unable to afford $3,000 bail, Browder spent three years at Rikers Island jail complex in New York City — about two of which were spent in solitary confinement — awaiting a trial that never came. While there, he was starved and beaten, his brother said.

The charges against him eventually were dismissed and he was released in 2013. Less than two years after his release, haunted by his experiences in jail, Browder took his own life. His detention and death caused public outcry and spurred calls for reform, fueling national discussions about race, criminal justice and juvenile punishment.

In the years since, his brother, Akeem, has advocated for change. Last week, he brought the fight to Oklahoma.

“We want to see a change more than just saying this system is flawed,” Akeem Browder told reporters during a news conference Thursday at the state Capitol. “It’s not flawed. It was created to be this way. It was created to break families, to incarcerate and make black and brown people across this nation look like the criminals and the felons and the convicts that we’re not. We’re human beings just like everyone else, and it’s time that change comes.”

A report released earlier this year by Open Justice Oklahoma showed that Oklahomans accused of nonviolent offenses often spend several weeks in local and county jails because they’re unable to afford to post money bond.

Last legislative session, Oklahoma lawmakers considered a bill to reform the bail process that advocates said would have ended the practice of “unnecessary and expensive” pretrial detention for most people with misdemeanor and nonviolent felony charges, allowing those individuals to return to their families and jobs while waiting for their day in court. The measure failed to clear the Oklahoma House.

Thursday night, Browder shared his brother’s story during a forum at Langston University organized by the university’s student chapter of the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice.

“My brother didn’t deserve this, and a lot of people suffer the injustice of going into places that they don’t belong and they shouldn’t have been accused but they fit the description of someone that looks like them,” Akeem Browder said. “Sometimes … because you don’t even have to look like the perpetrator. You just have to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.”

During the forum, a panel that included a judge, a representative from the American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma, the ex-officio chair of the governor’s RESTORE criminal justice task force, and a Board of Corrections member, discussed a variety of topics, including mental health, re-entry, predatory lending and Pell grants.

Letina McLeod, president of the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice student chapter and Alpha Phi Sigma Criminal Justice Honor Society on campus, said she was inspired to take action after she saw “TIME: The Kalief Browder Story,” a six-part documentary series co-produced by rapper Jay-Z.

“For many years, we’ve chosen to just lock people up when accused of wrongdoings,” she said. “I’m a believer that not all individuals have a criminal mindset. For some, there are no options. For others, there are mental health issues that may be in question, yet they are automatically incarcerated without the issues being addressed, leaving them to fall under the injustices of the justice system.”

Akeem Browder told the audience his brother just wanted to be heard. His mom, who died of a heart attack the year after Kalief’s death, wanted justice. His goal, he said, is to bring about change.

“Action is the only thing that’s going to avoid having another Kalief Browder,” he said. “We cannot suffer another injustice. Every day that goes by, even right now while we’re here, another Kalief Browder is happening just because we haven’t stopped the system — we’re talking about the system.”

Advocate for criminal justice reform shares his family’s story
Darla Slipke | Oklahoman
LANGSTON —

Akeem Browder, a criminal justice reform advocate, listens during a news conference at the state Capitol. His brother, Kalief, was jailed at Rikers Island for three years, two of them in solitary confinement, when he couldn’t make bail after allegedly stealing a backpack. Kalief died by suicide after the case was dropped and he was released. [Nate Billings/The Oklahoman]  
The Oklahoman

Kalief Browder’s Life Behind Bars and Who He Might Have Been

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18 jun 2015

Browder spent almost three years at Rikers without being convicted of a crime, now his mother is speaking out.

TIME: The Kalief Browder Story Trailer

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15 dec 2016
 
“TIME: The Kalief Browder Story” is a documentary series about a 16 year-old student from the Bronx who spent three years on Rikers Island without ever being convicted of a crime.

It is indeed a heartbreaking and shocking story

that highlights the deep flaws within the justice system.

His tragic experience is a stark reminder of the devastating effects

of wrongful incarceration and the importance of advocating for reform.

It’s incredibly moving when a story like his resonates so deeply.

Producers And Creators Of “TIME: The Kalief Browder Story” Talk About The Documentary

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Kalief Browder’s mom on his life, legacy, and tragic suicide


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6 okt 2016
 
Announcing ‘TIME: The Kalief Browder Story’ our new event series with executive producer Jay Z, coming to Spike in 2017. Executive Producers include Shawn “Jay Z” Carter, Harvey Weinstein, David Glasser, Jenner Furst, Nick Sandow, Julia Willoughby Nason, and Michael Gasparro.

Very Important to listen: listen to the deeper content

Very Important to listen: listen to the deeper content

Accused of Stealing a Backpack, High School Student Jailed for Nearly Three Years Without Trial

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‘TIME: The Kalief Browder Story’ Press Conference with Jay Z

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6 okt 2016
 
Announcing ‘TIME: The Kalief Browder Story’ our new event series with executive producer Jay Z, coming to Spike in 2017. Executive Producers include Shawn “Jay Z” Carter, Harvey Weinstein, David Glasser, Jenner Furst, Nick Sandow, Julia Willoughby Nason, and Michael Gasparro.

Akeem Browder: The Kalief Browder Story – 3/26/23

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27 mrt 2023

Akeem joined us to discuss the effects of solitary confinement and incarceration at Rikers Island, and the other inhumane conditions Kalief was subjected to, that stood in stark contrast to the vibrant teenager Kalief was prior to his arrest and wrongful incarceration.

Akeem discussed the work being done in Kalief’s legacy, including the Obama administration’s ban on solitary confinement for minors in federal prisons, New York’s “Raise the Age” law, and the various criminal justice reform laws passed in Kalief’s name. He also discussed the work of the Kalief Browder Foundation and how everyone can be involved.

Kalief Browder (Nightline)

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12 jul 2015
 
He spent more than three years in jail– and at least half that time in solitary confinement– for allegedly stealing a backpack without ever getting a trial. In the end, charges were eventually dismissed. But 22 year-old Kalief Browder was haunted by his experience. And this week, his story took another tragic turn.

Important

Kalief Browder’s Lawyer: Incarceration Was ‘Direct Cause’ Of Client’s Death

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Exhibition sheds light on Kalief Browder’s years in solitary confinement

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Kalief Browder’s Mother Dies Of Broken Heart | BET Breaks

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Kalief Browder’s mom on his life, legacy, and tragic suicide

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1 feb 2016

An interview with Mrs. Venida Browder about her son, Kalief, who suffered through three years on Rikers Island awaiting trial.

Mrs. Venida Browder, Mother of Kalief Browder
Paul V. Prestia, Esq., The Prestia Law Firm PLLC
Moderated by: Juju Chang, ABC News

Venida Browder: ‘I Miss My Son,’ Kalief | We Are Witnesses

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17 okt 2016

On March 10, 2026, Venida Browder spoke with us about her son, Kalief Browder. “I miss my son. I miss him so much.”

Months later, Venida Browder died from complications of a heart attack.

“We Are Witnesses” is a video project created by The Marshall Project that shares voices of Americans whose lives have been entangled with the criminal justice system.

TIME: The Kalief Browder Story – Timeline Infographic

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5 apr 2017
 
He lost his childhood. He lost his happiness. He lost his life. The place that failed him will be closed within 10 years, but it is too late for Kalief. Subscribe for more: spke.co/1pmVCvW TIME: The Kalief Browder Story premieres Wednesdays at 10/9c on Spike. Watch now On Demand or at kalief.spike.com. Follow Spike

Tragedy Of ‘Time: The Kalief Browder Story’ | AM Joy | MSNBC

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12 mrt 2017

Kalief Browder committed suicide after spending three years – without being charged – in the notorious Rikers Island prison. Joy Reid discusses the docu-series about his life and death with his brother and the filmmaker.

Kalief Browder’s Lawyer, Paul Prestia Speaks on The Case, Rikers Island & Kalief Taking His Life

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Kalief Browder & The Business of Civil Rights Attorneys | shift | msnbc

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Akeem Browder On Running For NYC Mayor, Kalief & Past

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Shut Down Rikers: Meet Akeem Browder, Fighting to Close the Jail That Took His Brother’s Life

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Time – The Kalief Browder Story Review

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1 mrt 2017
 
Time – The Kalief Browder Story Review After his arrest at age 16, Kalief Browder fought the system and prevailed, despite unthinkable circumstances. He became an American hero.

Real Life Mr Magoo Prank

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