Teenager spends 3 years in Rikers Island; no conviction

[Dusty Bake Activate]

Disgusting.

http://rt.com/usa/teen-jailed-without-conviction-101/

A young Bronx teenager spent three years in the infamously violent Rikers Island prison complex without ever being convicted of a crime.

Kalief Browder was initially arrested on his way home on May 14, 2010, after an unknown individual identified the teenager, then 16 years old, as the person who robbed him a few weeks prior. Browder was charged with second-degree robbery and, unable to post the $10,000 bail at the time of his arrest, was transferred to Rikers Island.

The case never went to trial, however, and Browder languished at Rikers Island until the charges were dropped without explanation in June 2013.

“No apology, no nothing,” Browder said about his release to local WABC. “They just said, ‘Oh, case dismissed. Don’t worry about nothing.’ What do you mean, ‘Don’t worry about nothing?’ You just took over three years of my life.”More than two and a half years into his detainment, Browder was offered a plea deal that would have likely released him under a time served sentence. He did not take the deal because he did not want to admit guilt for the crime.

The Huffington Post reported that Browder filed a civil lawsuit in October against the Bronx District Attorney, the City of New York, the New York City Police Department, the New York City Department of Corrections and a multiple state-employed individuals.

His complaint claims that not only was he was“physically assaulted and beaten" by inmates as well as officers, but also that he was denied meals and spent more than 400 days in solitary confinement. The lawsuit also alleges that officers refused to allow Browder to continue his education, and that he attempted suicide a minimum of six times.

According to Paul Prestia, Browder’s lawyer, the teenager also suffered from mental health issues.

"We need someone to be held accountable,"Prestia told the Huffington Post. "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.

"Browder is currently earning his GED, but Prestia added that he’s “clearly way behind” where he should be at this point in his life.

The District Attorney’s office would not comment on the case since it has yet to be closed, but Browder’s claims about violence at Rikers Island echo the results of an independent review of the prison’s mental health standards that was released this month. About 40 percent of inmates were found to be mentally ill, the use of force has tripled since 2004, and attempts at suicide and self-mutilation have gone up 75 percent. The review suggested eliminating the use of solitary confinement for mentally ill patients and recommended teaming up with a hospital to provide various therapeutic services.

 

[Serious]

 

[88m3]

happens everyday, and worse

 

[Serious]

happens everyday, and worse

@ 16 breh caught 3, and still came home young

But this young cat just suffered a lot of psychological and physiologically damage, which may impair him into actually engaging in future criminal behavior: alcohol / drug abuse, domestic violence, etc...

The system strikes again

 

[88m3]

@ 16 breh caught 3, and still came home young

But this young cat just suffered a lot of psychological and physiologically damage which may actually turn him into actually being a future criminal....

Yeah..

Wonder where his parents were?

That shyt sucks but it's up to him the direction he takes.

 

[Serious]

Yeah..

Wonder where his parents were?

That shyt sucks but it's up to him the direction he takes.

Let's hope he gets compensated, that GED is a start though..

 

[88m3]

Let's hope he gets compensated...

There will probably be a settlement but who knows.

 

[Buckeye Fever]

Gitcho moneh lil' daddeh

 

[Wild self]

Those officers should be decapitated along with the DA.

 

[AITheAnswerAI]

I hope he gets some serious money out of this...these disgusting people who were so cavalier with his life need to be fired and thrown in jail themselves.

 

[WaveGang]

This does happen all the time tbh

In uk we got a system where u get compensation for every day spent in jail if not convicted

 

[CouldntBeMeTho]

He will see a huge settlement out of this at least.

 

[ℒℴѵℯJay ELECTUA]

Settlement vouchers for barneys.

 

[Yapdatfool]

He wont get a dime. As much as he deserves it. I fear he will be going back to jail very soon for something they will convict him of, somehow someway.

 

[NkrumahWasRight Is Wrong]

There will probably be a settlement but who knows.

I wouldnt settle unless they offered multi millions. 3 years in Rikers as a juvenile without a conviction on a 2nd degree robbery charge

Thats outrageous...Im assuming the kid had a public defender and he must have been straight garbage and/or corrupt to even allow this to happen for a day, let alone for 3 years.

My dad is a criminal defense attorney in a state capitol and he probably woulda got the prosecutor to agree to a lesser charge and at the very least, avoid detainment until further legal proceedings (unless the judge ruled him as a flight risk).