Kalief Browder in Solitary Confinement

Kalief Browder is a prime example of unfair treatment in the jail system. In 2010 at the age of 16 he was charged with robbery. Although he knew he was innocent, he refused to take a plea bargain, this landing him in jail for three years awaiting trial. During that time he endured physical and mental abuse by both inmates and correction officers. To make matters worse, he spent approximately two years in solitary confinement. This form of punishment played a toll on his psyche. He attempted suicide but failed, he even observed an inmate’s failed suicide attempt as the guard dragged the inmate from the cell with a bed sheet around his neck. The thought of suicide always lingered in his head and he began to contemplate it more and more. In the article "Kalief Browder Learned How To Commit Suicide On Rikers" by Jennifer Gonnerman, Mr. Browder describes his first suicide attempt. He stated that it took him about 25 minutes to rip the sheets into smaller pieces with his teeth and twisted them together. He mentioned how he could recall attempting suicide at least five times during his incarceration. He also mentions how the guards noticed and they would check to see how far he was coming along never trying to stop him. If anything the correction officers encouraged him. They would threaten him by saying that they were going to come in and physically abuse him if he didnt proceed. Kalief stated that the guards would take the prisoners suicide attempts lightly because some prisoners would use that as a way to get out of solitary confinement. There were even occasions that the officers would beat on the prisoners and never mention their suicide attempts in their reports.

Kalief Browder was later able to prove his innocence and was released after serving three years. He filed a lawsuit against the city and tried to move forward with his life. He went on to receive a GED (High School equivalent diploma) and even attended Bronx Community College maintaining a 3.5 GPA. Through all the hardships he endured he was brave enough to talk to the media about his experience in Rikers Island. Although he was aiming for a brighter future, he still remained a prisoner in his own body. The article “Kalief Browder Held at Rikers Island for 3 years Without Trial Commits Suicide” by Michael Schwartz states that “he almost recreated the conditions of solitary”. He would lock himself in his room for long periods of time. He beame paranoid and felt like everyone was out to get him. He constantly felt like he was being watched and even believed that his school counsellors were in on some sort of plan to take him down. He ultimately succumbed to his paranoia and applied what he had learned in Rikers Island and committed sucide at the age of 22.

Works Cited 

Gonnerman, Jennifer. “Kalief Browder Learned How to Commit Suicide on Rikers.” The New Yorker, The New Yorker, 19 June 2017, www.newyorker.com/news/news-desk/kalief-browder-learned-how-to-commit-suicide-on-rikers. Web 7th November 2017

Winerip, Michael and Schwirtz, Michael. “Kalief Browder, Held at Rikers Island for 3 Years Without Trial, Commits Suicide.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 8 June 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/06/09/nyregion/kalief-browder-held-at-rikers-island-for-3-years-without-trial-commits-suicide.html. Web 7th November 2017