| |
Discussion: Innocent Black Teen Jailed for 3 Years
Member Since: 8/16/2011
Posts: 19,718
|
Innocent Black Teen Jailed for 3 Years
Quote:
Bronx resident Kalief Browder was walking home from a party when he was abruptly arrested by New York City police officers on May 14, 2010. A complete stranger said Browder had robbed him a few weeks earlier and, consequently, changed the 16-year-old's life forever.
Browder was imprisoned for three years before the charges were dropped in June 2013, according to a WABC-TV Eyewitness News investigation.
At the time of the teen's arrest, Browder's family was unable to pay the $10,000 bail. He was placed in the infamously violent Rikers Island correctional facility, where he remained until earlier this year.
Now that he's free, the young man is speaking up about his experience.
"I spent three New Year's in there, three birthdays...," Browder, now 20, said in a recent interview with WABC, adding that he was released with "no apology."
In October, Browder filed a civil lawsuit against the Bronx District Attorney, City of New York, the New York City Police Department, the New York City Department of Corrections and a number of state-employed individuals.
The official complaint states Browder was "physically assaulted and beaten" by officers and other inmates during his time at Rikers Island. The document also maintains the accused was "placed in solitary confinement for more than 400 days" and was "deprived meals." In addition, officers allegedly prevented him from pursuing his education. Browder attempted suicide at least six times.
In an interview with The Huffington Post, Browder's current lawyer Paul Prestia summarized his client's experience as "inexplicable" and "unheard of." Based off one man's identification, Browder was charged with robbery in the second degree, he notes. It took three years to dismiss these charges, even though it was, in Prestia's words, a "straightforward case to try."
"The city needs to be held accountable for what happened," Prestia said. "[Browder] had a right to a fair and speedy trail, and he wasn't afforded any of that. He maintained his innocence the entire time, and essentially got a three year sentence for that."
Prestia adds that his client has suffered lingering mental health problems, and though he's currently going to school for his GED, he's "clearly way behind from where he would have been."
"We need someone to be held accountable," Prestia said. "This can't just go unnoticed. To the extent that [Browder] can be financially compensated -- although it's not going to get those years back for him -- it may give him a chance to succeed."
The District Attorney's office said it was unable to comment, as Browder's allegations are currently the subject of ongoing litigation.
|
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 11/11/2010
Posts: 11,240
|
I'm not shocked this country has long been a police state.
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 12/2/2011
Posts: 52,765
|
SMH The system is so ****** and ignorant 
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 3/15/2013
Posts: 32,106
|
What in the world? Disgusting
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 8/16/2011
Posts: 19,718
|
The worst part is how hard it's going to be for him to overcome becoming another statistic.
We've talk about this in class where the educational progress of young black children is hindered due to some outstanding racial factor (unfair suspensions, expulsions, arrests, etc). These, in turn, generate non-contributing members of society which then white America likes to point their fingers at and say: "Ah ha! We told you those people were no good." And then go on to vilify more black children based on these assumptions.
It's a self-perpetuating cycle. 
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 11/28/2011
Posts: 27,495
|
Deja vu or this was AP? 
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 8/18/2013
Posts: 996
|
I saw this on Worldstar last night and I got even sicker because you could tell by the way he was acting that something happened to him in there. I don't need to say what, but you can all probably guess.
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 8/16/2011
Posts: 19,718
|
Quote:
Originally posted by Javan
Deja vu or this was AP? |
No. I checked to make sure. But I feel ya, sis.
It's such a common occurrence that it seems like we've seen it all before.
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 8/9/2012
Posts: 18,572
|
He should SUE for ALL their money!
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 6/6/2012
Posts: 25,442
|
Why do we have to add that he's black. You know how many innocent people are in jail, of all races?
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 1/7/2010
Posts: 4,967
|
 Why do some people here like to bring race in stories like these. There are plenty of Whites and Latinos that are innocent and are also serving jail time.
Now I am sure that you are all aware that Prisons do have more Blacks than other races and yes among them there are a lot of innocent Blacks in there, but most crimes and violence are committed by Blacks in the USA. Why? Well just go to any Ghetto in any city and you will see how bad these places are and look at the racial population that lives there.
I don't think is fair to assume that Blacks are inherited just more violent and attracted to crime than any other race, but because of living in these Ghettos, loving the Hip Hop life to heart, glamorizing Thug culture, not caring about their communities, no snitching, gang culture, not many good role models, etc of bad habits. Not a lot of good can come from it, for many Blacks living in these Ghettos.
Sadly innocent Blacks will be arrested too because of procedures mistakes or Victims blaming the wrong person. This happens in all over the world too. In the most Black country in Africa to the most White country in Europe. Prisons are full of innocent people all over the world and will always be the case. This is not only an American issue.
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 9/9/2012
Posts: 59,872
|
Quote:
Originally posted by Kamil24
Why do we have to add that he's black. You know how many innocent people are in jail, of all races?
|
Quote:
Originally posted by Pokistic
Why do some people here like to bring race in stories like these. There are plenty of Whites and Latinos that are innocent and are also serving jail time.
Now I am sure that you are all aware that Prisons do have more Blacks than other races and yes among them there are a lot of innocent Blacks in there, but most crimes and violence are committed by Blacks in the USA. Why? Well just go to any Ghetto in any city and you will see how bad these places are and look at the racial population that lives there.
I don't think is fair to assume that Blacks are inherited just more violent and attracted to crime than any other race, but because of living in these Ghettos, loving the Hip Hop life to heart, glamorizing Thug culture, not caring about their communities, no snitching, gang culture, not many good role models, etc of bad habits. Not a lot of good can come from it, for many Blacks living in these Ghettos.
Sadly innocent Blacks will be arrested too because of procedures mistakes or Victims blaming the wrong person. This happens in all over the world too. In the most Black country in Africa to the most White country in Europe. Prisons are full of innocent people all over the world and will always be the case. This is not only an American issue. |
Y'all look just as low right now.
Someone was in jail for 3 years, raped, baten, deprived meals, etc and you're sitting here trying to make a big deal because the OP said he was black?  Just as stupid as the people who would ignore this article, and only bringing up how this happened because he was black.
Stay on topic.
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 6/10/2011
Posts: 12,738
|
Quote:
Originally posted by iHypeMusic
Y'all look just as low right now.
Someone was in jail for 3 years, raped, baten, deprived meals, etc and you're sitting here trying to make a big deal because the OP said he was black? Just as stupid as the people who would ignore this article, and only bringing up how this happened because he was black.
Stay on topic. |
Exactly. This important article right in their faces and their only concern is why race was brought up. Ugh, I swear, ATRL is full of ignorant children. Serious conversations/issues are not meant for this site.
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 12/30/2011
Posts: 15,778
|
There are two sides to every story. If he was in solitary confinement there was a reason for it.
|
|
|
|
ATRL Contributor
Member Since: 8/2/2012
Posts: 7,414
|
Disgusting.
I don't even want to think about what he went through.
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 5/7/2012
Posts: 8,404
|
Quote:
Originally posted by Kamil24
Why do we have to add that he's black. You know how many innocent people are in jail, of all races?
|
Because after the 500 years of slavery without any repartitions, help with education, or true peace of mind Black Americans are still targeted daily by police profiling them by the color of their skin.
America would never be a global economic force without the free labor they got from the African slaves they stole, tortured, raped, and damaged intellectually. This country has yet to apologize to the community and it's truly sad that it's literally written in American History how they destroyed and still destroy African American leadership, schools, communities, and religious factions.
Also without the economic growth from the free labor from slaves america would've never had the industrial revolution, this world would be completely different.
That's why it should be brought up, there is still great injustice toward the African American community and just because we're no longer considered 1/3 of a person, allowed to sit in the front of the bus, allowed to drink at the same water fountains as melanin lackers its still not a fair system.
And before you say something about Obama, he doesn't even have an African American lineage that goes back to slavery.
|
|
|
|
Member Since: 8/31/2012
Posts: 13,110
|
the important part is that his innocence was deprived, and probably just to meet some politician's quota for # of arrests.
|
|
|
|
|
|
