Now playingKalief Browder seeks justice from New York City for his wrongful arrest and three year imprisonment at Rikers Island; Kalief's deposition proves to be treacherous and he is forced to answer questions about his troubled past.
Time: The Kalief Browder Story
S1 · E1 — The System
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The Island
A look at the early days of Kalief's incarceration at Rikers Island, where he is introduced to a world of violence, corruption and gangs, forcing him to defend himself from other inmates and corrections officers
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Now playingA look at the early days of Kalief's incarceration at Rikers Island, where he is introduced to a world of violence, corruption and gangs, forcing him to defend himself from other inmates and corrections officers
Kalief refuses to plead guilty, demanding a trial. He is caught in the revolving door of solitary confinement as his case crawls through a stagnant court system.
After a delay in the case a missing witness is found, revealing sloppy detective work. Kalief is faced with time served but refuses to plead guilty to a crime he didn't commit. He is released a month later without explanation.
Kalief becomes a folk hero and the poster child of a broken system, attracting journalists and celebrities as he fights for justice, but he begins to deteriorate under the bright spotlight of the media.
Family tensions are high when Kalief's estranged father tries to take over the case and settlement negotiation. Kalief's mother, Venida, fights depression and bad health but suffers a massive heart attack, dying at the hospital.