Author | Victoria Hammill | Jan. 13 2019
Kalief Browder is not the victim of a wrongful conviction. He never had the chance to be. He was the victim of a wrongful imprisonment which destroyed his life.
Kalief Browder was 16 when he was arrested on May 15th, 2010 during a routine stop-and-frisk when a man identified him as one of the thieves who robbed his brother of his backpack and its contents 2 weeks prior. The Browder family could not afford the $3,000 bail, so Kailef was transferred to Rikers Island in New York City to await a trial that would never come. Kalief spent the following 3 years on Rikers Island, one of the most notorious prisons for violence from both other inmates and officers. Two of Kalief’s years spent on the island would be in solitary confinement while he was still a minor. This meant he would spend 23 hours a day alone in a prison cell for a crime he did not commit while sporadically being beaten by other inmates and correctional officers. This led Kalief to attempt suicide on multiple occassions within his cell, by tieing a knoose from his bedsheets. Finally, 3 years after his arrival, Kalief was released when the prosecution decided that they did not have sufficient evidence to convict.
After being released, he moved into his parents' home in the Bronx area of New York. He tried to get back into some semblance of a normal life by attending classes at the local community college, but soon found it difficult to feel safe in his own city. After attempting suicide again, he spent time in a psych ward. Soon after, a journalist approached him, who had gotten a copy of the videotapes of the assaults and violence he suffered on Rikers Island. Kalief wanted the tapes released to the public so people could see what he went through in prison. In the video you can see an officer beating Kalief and a group of other inmates joined in pummeling Kalief who was already on the ground. After the tapes were released, Kalief began to gain national attention for what he went through. He ended up meeting with politician Rand Paul, Jay Z, and Rosie O’Donnell from ‘The View’. Things began to then pick-up as his lawyer, Paul Prestia was beginning to file lawsuits on behalf of Kalief for the abuse he suffered. It was around this time when Kalief began posting concerning messages on Facebook, denied anything being wrong and committed suicide 4 days later.
The case of Kalief Browder has become a national example of the corruption existing in the prison and legal systems. It is the story of a boy who’s life was destroyed without ever being convicted of a crime. His story and experiences have now been a contributing factor to the mayor of New York declaring he will shut down Rikers Island. Kalief Browder was also a contributing factor in President Barack Obama placing a ban on solitary confinement for juveniles in federal prison.
There are so many things that I believe need to be fixed that are featured in the Kalief Browder case. The government should not be allowed to hold people in prison for years without getting their day in court. Another problem with the Kalief Browder case is compensation. A boy was held in prison for 3 years for a crime he did not commit, and that the state never had enough evidence to prosecute him for. When he was released he should have received compensation and government support for therapy and mental health issues resulting from his incarceration. It was not until 3 years after Kalief Browder committed suicide that his family finally won a $3.3 million settlement. While this is more than many families receive, it will not bring Kalief back.
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