Kalief Browder
Kalief Browder was a young man from the Bronx, New York, who became a tragic symbol of the failures of the criminal justice system. Born on May 25, 1993, Browder was raised in a challenging environment, having been placed in foster care due to his biological mother's struggles with addiction. His life took a dramatic turn in 2010 when, after being wrongfully accused of robbery, he was unable to post bail and was sent to Rikers Island. Over the course of nearly three years, Browder endured severe violence, solitary confinement, and mental health struggles while waiting for a trial that was repeatedly delayed.
His ordeal finally ended when the charges against him were dismissed in 2013, but he returned home deeply affected by the trauma he experienced. Despite initial hopes for recovery, Browder suffered from depression and ultimately took his own life in 2015. His story garnered significant media attention and sparked activism for reform within the criminal justice system, leading to changes such as the prohibition of solitary confinement for juveniles in federal prisons. Browder's case is a poignant reminder of the profound impact that systemic issues can have on individuals and communities.
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Kalief Browder
Victim of criminal justice system
- Born: May 25, 1993
- Birthplace: Bronx, New York City, New York
- Died: June 6, 2015
- Place of death: Bronx, New York City, New York
Education: Bronx Community College
Significance: Kalief Browder was an African American man who was accused of stealing a backpack in 2010 when he was sixteen years old. While awaiting trial, Browder spent three years in a prison on Rikers Island. In 2013, his case was dismissed and he was released. Browder committed suicide two years later. His family and friends contend that his death was the result of the mental and physical abuse he suffered in prison. His case inspired many to call for a reform of New York City’s criminal justice system.
Background
Kalief Browder was born on May 25, 1993, in the Bronx borough of New York City. Browder’s biological mother was a drug addict, and he was taken into the custody of Child Protective Services (CPS) shortly after birth. His adoptive mother, Venida, had raised thirty-four children before taking him in. Two of these children were biological; the others were either fostered or adopted. During his childhood, Browder was the youngest of seven children, five of whom were adopted. His adoptive father, Everett Browder, worked for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority cleaning buses. However, he left the family when Browder was a boy.
According to family and friends, Browder had a happy childhood. His family lived in a two-story brick house on Prospect Avenue near the Bronx Zoo. His mother enjoyed hosting large holiday dinners, filling the house with laughter and love. Browder attended the progressive New Day Academy. The staff described him as a fun-loving child who was very smart, despite earning mostly Cs.
Browder’s first brush with the law occurred when he was a young teenager. He was charged with third-degree grand larceny for stealing a bakery truck and crashing it into a car. Because of a former New York law, Browder was charged as an adult. He pleaded guilty but later said that he was only a bystander. He was placed on probation.
Life’s Work
On May 15, 2010, Browder and a friend were stopped by police when they were walking home from a party in the Belmont section of the Bronx. A Mexican-American immigrant named Roberto Bautista had called police after spotting the men that night. Bautista claimed that Browder and his friend had robbed him two weeks ago, taking a backpack containing $700 in cash, a camera, an iPod Touch, and a credit card. Browder and his friend were taken to the 48th Police Precinct Station and held in a cell for a few hours. After this, they were sent to the Bronx Criminal Court, where Browder was interrogated by a police officer and a prosecutor. Despite his pleas of innocence, Browder was eventually charged with second-degree robbery. His bail was set at $3,000 but his family could not raise enough money to pay a bail bondsman, so Browder was sent to Rikers Island.
Browder was imprisoned in R.N.D.C (Robert N. Davoren Center), which held about 600 boys ages sixteen to eighteen. Violence was rampant at the prison, where guards often attacked inmates. Because his family could not afford an attorney, Browder was appointed one by the court. The lawyer, as well as the Bronx Criminal Courts, was overwhelmed and backlogged. In 2010, Browder’s case was one of 5,695 felonies.
Browder tried to keep to himself and spend his time working out, but it was not long before he had to defend himself from attacks by other inmates. After one scuffle, he was sent for two weeks to the Central Punitive Segregation Unit, which inmates call the “Bing.” Prisoners in the Bing remain in their twelve-by-seven-foot cells in isolation twenty-three hours a day.
Browder was a victim of prison violence. He was brutally assaulted by corrections officers and other inmates but attempted to defend himself. After each altercation, he was put in solitary confinement. Browder wound up spending about 800 of his 1,000 days in prison in the Bing.
At first, Browder tried to make the best of his situation. He read and studied to take the GED. With each day that passed, Browder believed he was a step closer to going to trial. However, a trial cannot take place until the prosecution and the defense both declare that they are ready. Browder’s trial was continually delayed. He was offered a deal—plead guilty and serve three-and-a-half years, but Browder turned it down because he wanted to go to trial.
Life in the Bing eventually wore him down. Prisoners in solitary confinement cannot purchase snacks in the commissary. They are served a small meal through a slot in their cell door three times a day. The portions were not enough to nourish a growing teenage boy. Browder was always hungry. Being in solitary did not protect him from prison violence. Browder was often assaulted and beaten when he left his cell to take a shower. While he was incarcerated, Browder attempted suicide twice.
On May 29, 2013, Browder’s case was dismissed. Bautista, the Mexican-America who had identified him, had returned to Mexico and prosecutors were unable to locate him. Without Bautista, they had no case.
After his release, Browder returned to his home. He had changed, however, and suffered from depression. Flashbacks of his time at Rikers tormented him. He no longer showed interest in activities that he had once enjoyed such as playing video games and shooting hoops. He spent most of his time in his room with the door closed. He attempted suicide two more times. After the second attempt, he was admitted to the psychiatric ward in St. Barnabas Hospital. On June 6, 2015, he died after hanging himself from an air-conditioning unit outside his bedroom window.
Impact
Browder’s case gained widespread media attention after his death. Activists fought for the reform of the New York City criminal justice system. In 2016, President Barak Obama signed an executive order banning the solitary confinement of juveniles in federal prisons. In March 2017, Spike network aired Time: The Kalief Browder Story, a six-part documentary produced by Jay Z and Harvey Weinstein. The miniseries traced how the criminal justice system had failed Browder.
Bibliography
Berman, Mark. “Kalief Browder and what we do and don’t know about solitary confinement in the U.S.” Washington Post, 26 Jan. 2016, www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/01/25/kalief-browder-and-what-we-do-and-dont-know-about-solitary-confinement-in-the-u-s-2/?noredirect=on&utm‗term=.ed65e9350df6. Accessed 17 Sept. 2018.
Gonnerman, Jennifer. “Before the Law.” 14 Oct. 2014, The New Yorker, www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/10/06/before-the-law. Accessed 17 Sept. 2018.
Gonnerman, Jennifer. Kalief Browder, 1993–2015. 7 June 2015, The New Yorker, www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/kalief-browder-1993-2015. Accessed 17 Sept. 2018.
Lohr, David. “Kalief Browder’s Brother Searches for Justice on Anniversary of His Death.” 6 June 2018, Huffington Post, www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/kalief-browder-death-anniversary‗us‗5b180dcae4b0599bc6df9db0. Accessed 17 Sept. 2018.
Time: The Kalief Browder Story. Produced by Jay Z. and Harvey Weinstein, Spike TV, 2017.