Bronx teen jailed for three years without conviction

A CASE is unfolding in New York which casts serious questions over whether the US justice system works properly.

The case involves an American man who has just been released from one of the country's toughest prisons after serving a three-year term behind bars despite never have being convicted.

In May 2010, 16-year-old high school kid Kalief Browder was walking home through the New York borough of The Bronx after a party. As he told US media this week:

"This guy comes out of nowhere and says I robbed him. And the next thing I know they are putting cuffs on me. I don't know this dude. And I do over three years for something I didn't do."

The boy's family was unable to post $10,000 bail, so Browder languished in Rikers Island Prison, where he allegedly suffered physical and mental abuse at the hands of both inmates and prison officials.

Rikers Island is no picnic spot. Situated on an island in New York's East River, it houses 10,000 inmates and is sort of like a modern version of San Francisco's infamous Alcatraz.

Recent investigations and lawsuits have uncovered systematic brutality by guards as part of an unofficial and secretive program to keep prisoners in line. Yet this is where they stuck a 16-year-old for three years who hadn't even been convicted.

"It's very hard when you are dealing with dudes that are big and have weapons and shanks and there are gangs," Browder told US media outlets this week. "you know if you don't give your phone call up, or you don't give them what they want you know they are going to jump you. And it's very scary."

The Huffington Post reports that Browder has now 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, that he was was "placed in solitary confinement for more than 400 days" and was "deprived meals."

It is also claimed officers allegedly prevented him from pursuing his education, and that he attempted suicide at least six times.

Browder's current lawyer Paul Prestia told The Huffington Post his experiences were "inexplicable" and "unheard of."

"The city needs to be held accountable for what happened," he told The Post. "[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."

The lawyer also said that his client has suffered lingering mental health problems, and was way behind where he would have been in his schooling.

One news anchor in America has called it "an outrageous case of justice derailed".

We'll simply add that the US justice system may not be quite as well-oiled as they portray it in Law & Order.

Original report here

　

　

　

(And don't forget your ration of Wicked Thoughts for today. Now hosted on Wordpress. If you cannot access it, go to the MIRROR SITE, where posts appear as well as on the primary site. I have reposted the archives (past posts) for Wicked Thoughts HERE or HERE or here