JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Last week, the new York City Department of Corrections announced it will stop utilizing solitary confinement to punish adolescents held in its troubled Rikers Island jail complex, the second-largest jail system in the country. But a federal prosecutor stated the city’s reforms have been moving too slowly to deal with a, quote, "culture of violence," and warned he could file a civil lawsuit over situations for teenagers held in Rikers. New York is one of solely two states nationwide that automatically cost 16- and 17-12 months-olds as adults. AMY GOODMAN: Well, at the moment we glance at the unbelievable story of a 16-12 months-old highschool sophomore who was jailed at Rikers Island for nearly three years after he refused to plead responsible to a crime he said he didn't commit. It was May 15, 2010, when Kalief Browder was walking dwelling from a social gathering together with his mates in the Bronx and was stopped by police based mostly on a tip that he had robbed somebody weeks earlier.

He informed HuffPost Live what happened subsequent. KALIEF BROWDER: They'd searched me, mind guard brain health supplement memory and focus supplement the guy actually mentioned-at first he said I robbed him. I didn’t have anything on me. MARC LAMONT HILL: When you say "nothing," you imply no weapon and none of his property. KALIEF BROWDER: No weapon, mind guard brain health supplement no cash, anything he stated that I allegedly robbed him for. So the guy really modified up his story and stated that I really tried to rob him. But then another police officer came, they usually stated that I robbed him two weeks prior. And mind guard brain health supplement then they mentioned, "We’re going to take you to the precinct, and almost certainly we’re going to let you go home." But then, Mind Guard brain health I never went house. JUAN GONZÁLEZ: Kalief Browder did not go home for 33 months, even though he was never convicted. For practically 800 days of that point, he was held in solitary confinement.

He maintained his innocence and requested a trial, however was only offered plea deals while the trial was repeatedly delayed. Near the end of his time in jail, the choose supplied to sentence him to time served if he entered a guilty plea, and told him he could face 15 years in prison if he was convicted. He refused to accept the deal and was only released when the case was dismissed. AMY GOODMAN: Well, for more, we’re joined by Jennifer Gonnerman, mind guard brain health supplement reporter, creator, contributing editor at New York magazine, and contributing author to The brand new Yorker magazine. She recounts Kalief Browder’s story in the present issue of The brand new Yorker in a piece headlined, "Before the Law: A boy was accused of taking a backpack. The courts took the subsequent three years of his life." Jennifer Gonnerman has lengthy chronicled issues with the criminal justice system. Her guide, Life on the outside: The Prison Odyssey of Elaine Bartlett, tells the story of a girl who spent 16 years in prison for a first-time offense beneath New York’s Rockefeller drug legal guidelines.

And we’re joined by Kalief Browder’s current lawyer, Mind Guard supplement Paul Prestia, who has filed a lawsuit in opposition to the city, the NYPD-the brand new York Police Department-Bronx district legal professional and the Department of Corrections on Browder’s behalf. Prestia is also a former assistant prosecutor in Brooklyn. Jennifer Gonnerman, Paul Prestia, welcome to Democracy Now! Jennifer, inform us Kalief’s story. JENNIFER GONNERMAN: Well, Mind Guard reviews you probably did a pretty good job of setting it up, and it was terrific that we got to listen to Kalief’s voice describing what happened. But simply to recap a bit, May 2010, mind guard brain health supplement he’s coming house from a get together late one night in the Bronx, walking with his friend down the road, and a police automotive pulls up. There’s any person in the again seat who points him out, saying, mind guard brain health supplement you know-accusing him of a robbery that had happened one or two weeks earlier. AMY GOODMAN: Well, first, he actually says, "I didn’t steal something tonight.

JENNIFER GONNERMAN: Right, proper. JENNIFER GONNERMAN: Right, so there was, from the beginning, it sounded like, not less than the way Kalief tells it, some confusion concerning the dates, which is important. And he goes into the precinct thinking, "I’m just"-and he’s within the holding cell, pondering, "I’m just going to be right here for a couple hours. We’ll clear up this misunderstanding." And, as you mentioned, he ended up doing virtually three years on Rikers Island, for many causes, however the system sort of completely failed him in each potential way. There was no speedy trial. And during that point, he was locked up in the adolescent jail on Rikers Island. AMY GOODMAN: Explain Rikers. JENNIFER GONNERMAN: Sure, sure. You recognize, when we speak about Rikers Island, it’s a jail complicated. There’s 10 different jails there. And I believe lots of people get confused between prison and jail. A prison is the place you go after you’ve been convicted and sentenced. A jail is the place you go while you’re ready in your case to go through the court docket.