Kalief Browder facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kalief Browder
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Browder in October 2014
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| Born | May 25, 1993 The Bronx, New York, US
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| Died | June 6, 2015 (aged 22) The Bronx, New York, US
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| Resting place | The Bronx, New York, US |
| Alma mater | Bronx Community College |
Kalief Browder (May 25, 1993 – June 6, 2015) was an African American teenager from The Bronx, New York. He became well-known because he was held in the Rikers Island jail for three years without a trial. He was accused of stealing a backpack. During his time in jail, Browder spent about 700 days in solitary confinement, which means being held alone in a cell.
His story has been used by people who want to change the justice system in New York City. It has also gained a lot of attention since his death. In 2017, the famous musician Jay-Z helped create a TV documentary series called Time: The Kalief Browder Story. In 2019, New York City agreed to pay the Browder family $3.3 million to settle a lawsuit.
Contents
Kalief's Early Life
Kalief was the youngest of seven children. His adoptive mother, Venida Browder, had raised many children over the years, including those in foster care. His family lived in a brick house near the Bronx Zoo.
Browder went to New Day Academy, where teachers said he was very smart and a "fun guy."
In 2009, when he was 16, Browder was accused of a serious theft. Police said he had crashed a stolen bakery truck while driving it illegally. He was charged as an adult, which was allowed by law at the time. He said he was guilty, but later explained he was just watching. He was put on probation, which meant he had to follow certain rules instead of going to jail.
Kalief's Arrest and Charges
On May 15, 2010, police stopped Browder and a friend in the Belmont area of the Bronx. Browder said he was walking home from a party. He thought it was a routine "stop-and-frisk," a police check he had experienced before.
Police were responding to a 9-1-1 call from a person named Roberto Bautista. Bautista claimed his brother's backpack had been stolen. The backpack supposedly contained a camera, money, a credit card, and an iPod Touch. Browder told the officers, "I didn't rob anyone, you can check my pockets." The police searched him but did not find the backpack.
Bautista, who was in a police car, pointed out Browder and his friend as the thieves. He said the theft had happened two weeks earlier. However, Bautista's story about when the theft happened changed several times.
Browder asked why he was being charged, saying, "I didn't do anything." An officer told him he would likely be allowed to go home after being taken to the police station. Browder and his friend were taken to the 48th Precinct police station. They were fingerprinted and held in a cell for a few hours. Then they were taken to the Bronx County Criminal Court.
Seventeen hours after his arrest, Browder was questioned by a police officer and a prosecutor. The next day, he was charged with robbery, theft, and assault. Because he was already on probation from his earlier case, he could not be released. At his first court appearance, called an arraignment, he was charged with second-degree robbery. Bail was set at $3,000. Bail is money paid to the court to ensure someone returns for their trial. If you use a bail bondsman, you pay a smaller fee to them.
Browder's family could not afford the $900 needed for the bail bondsman. Even if they could, his probation officer had put a "probation violation hold" on him. This meant he would not be released from jail even if bail was paid. So, he was sent to Rikers Island jail to wait for his trial and for his probation issue to be resolved.
Time in Jail at Rikers Island
Browder was sent to the Robert N. Davoren Center (RNDC) at Rikers Island. A government lawyer, Preet Bharara, said that the RNDC had a "deep-seated culture of violence." This meant that violence was very common there, and inmates often got hurt.
Browder said that inmates had to wash their clothes with soap and a metal bucket, which caused rust stains. His mother visited him every week, bringing him clean clothes and money for snacks. To protect himself from other inmates, he slept on top of his belongings. Browder felt he needed to get stronger to defend himself. He said, "Every here and there I did a couple pullups or pushups. When I went in there, that's when I decided I wanted to get big."
Browder experienced violence while in jail. Once, he and other inmates were lined up against a wall. Guards wanted to find out who started a fight. Browder and the other inmates were hit one by one. The guards threatened them with solitary confinement if they reported their injuries.
On October 20, 2010, a gang member spat on Browder. Later that day, Browder hit the gang leader and was then attacked by fifteen gang members. On September 23, 2012, a video showed Browder in handcuffs being assaulted by guards. After a fight with another inmate, Browder was put in solitary confinement for two weeks. He explained, "He was throwing shoes at people. I told him to stop. I actually took his sneaker and I threw it, and he got mad. He swung on me, and we started fighting."
In total, Browder spent almost two years in solitary confinement, mostly after getting into fights with other inmates. He later said that while in solitary confinement, guards sometimes beat him when he was showering. He said that even a small argument with a guard could turn into a physical fight. While in solitary confinement, Browder was allowed to read and study for the General Educational Development (GED) exam.
Waiting for Trial
Brendan O'Meara was assigned as Browder's public defender. A public defender is a lawyer provided by the government for people who cannot afford one. Browder always said he was innocent. Even though the prosecutor, Peter Kennedy, called Browder's case "straightforward," his trial was delayed. This was because the Bronx County District Attorney's office had a lot of cases to deal with.
In July 2010, 74 days after his arrest, Browder appeared before a judge. A grand jury formally accused him of second-degree robbery. A second charge for hitting and pushing Bautista was also heard. Browder pleaded "not guilty." His family tried to post bail again, but it was denied because of his earlier probation violation.
Over the next few years, Browder's trial was repeatedly delayed. Court records show many requests from the prosecution to postpone the trial. For example, on January 28, 2011, 258 days after his arrest, Browder appeared in court, but the prosecution asked for a delay.
Browder mostly communicated with his lawyer, O'Meara, through his mother. O'Meara said Browder was "quiet, respectful," but seemed "tougher and bigger" over time. Browder told O'Meara that he wanted to go to trial. He was offered a plea bargain of 3.5 years in prison if he admitted guilt. A plea bargain is an agreement where a person admits guilt to a lesser charge to avoid a longer sentence. Browder refused this offer. In June 2012, the offer was reduced to 2.5 years, but Browder refused again.
After 961 days in Rikers, Browder had appeared before eight different judges. He felt like "these guys are just playing with my case."
On March 13, 2013, Browder appeared before Bronx judge Patricia DiMango. She offered him a plea bargain: immediate release if he admitted guilt to two minor offenses, considering the time he had already served. Browder refused and was sent back to Rikers. On May 29, 2013, Judge DiMango finally freed Browder. The charges against him were expected to be dropped a week later because Bautista, the person who accused him, had returned to Mexico and could not testify.
It is not clear how long Browder was kept in jail after the prosecutor's office realized they could not prove their case at trial.
Taking Legal Action
After his release, Browder and his brother Akeem looked for legal help. A family member found Paul V. Prestia, a civil rights lawyer from Brooklyn. In November 2013, Browder filed a lawsuit against the New York City Police Department, the Bronx District Attorney, and the Department of Corrections.
Prestia argued that there had been a "malicious prosecution." This means the legal process was used unfairly against Browder. He also claimed the court was misled about the prosecution's readiness for trial. Prestia pointed out that the prosecution knew they would not have a witness once Bautista returned to Mexico. The City of New York denied these claims.
Education and Work After Release
Soon after being released, Browder passed his GED exam. He then enrolled at Bronx Community College (B.C.C.). He joined the City University of New York's "Future Now" program, which helps young people who have been in jail get a college education. Browder earned 11 college credits and finished his first semester with a good grade point average of 3.56.
Because of depression, Browder did not attend college in the fall semester but went back in the spring. On May 11, 2015, Browder wrote a paper called "A Closer Look at Solitary Confinement in the United States." He earned an "A" for it. He wrote about how solitary confinement affects people's mental health and that changes are needed across the country.
Browder also worked at B.C.C. as a math tutor for the GED program. He wanted to work to support his mother. He worked for a while as a security guard but was let go when his past mental health struggles became known. He also handed out flyers near Wall Street. Browder said, "I see businessmen and businesswomen dressed in suits... I want to be successful, like them."
Kalief's Legacy
Media Attention
In October 2014, Jennifer Gonnerman wrote an article about Browder in The New Yorker magazine. In November of the same year, Browder and his lawyer, Prestia, appeared on the TV talk show The View. Browder said being on the show was a "good opportunity to get [his] voice heard," even though it was hard to talk about his prison experience. The rapper and businessman Jay-Z also contacted Browder.
Ava DuVernay's 2016 documentary 13th, which was nominated for an Oscar, includes interviews with Browder. This film is about race and mass incarceration in the United States.
In March 2017, Time: The Kalief Browder Story, a six-part TV documentary series, was shown on the Spike network. Jay-Z helped produce it. Jay-Z said that Kalief was like a "prophet" because his story helped move society forward and saved lives.
In an essay for Vibe magazine, singer John Legend wrote that "New York failed Kalief." He pointed out that the police practice of targeting black teenagers was a problem. He also said it was tragic that being accused of stealing a backpack led to Browder's long detention.
Browder's story was also featured in an episode of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver in 2022. John Oliver explained that they had planned to cover his story in 2015 but decided not to because the episode would have aired the day after Browder's death.
Memorials
On May 25, 2017, a street corner in the Bronx, at East 181st Street and Prospect Avenue, was renamed "Kalief Browder Way" to honor him.
See also
- Solitary confinement in the United States
Images for kids
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Browder in October 2014
