A few hundred people gathered at the Manhattan Detention Complex at 125 White St NYC yesterday to voice their outrage at the tragic death of 22 year old Kalief Browder. The word Suicide means a person took their own life but, people who commit suicide are pushed to it after being subjected to over bearing trauma and pain. Call it “Suicide by System”or $$ System, that is the Reality after all.
The event had some delays but, no one seemed to mind even though the weather was a humid 80 something. Main stream news WPIX 11, Channel 12, ABC 7 and RT were among the local stations that showed up for this event.
I spoke with one of the speakers, Rev Jacqui Lewis from the Middle Collegiate Church and also Black Lives Matter movement prior to the event. “All black lives matter, Bikini clad teen lives matter”, she said. Kalief Browder apparently told his Mom, “I Can’t Take it Anymore”. “We, collectively, can’t take it anymore”. Although Rev. Jacqui didn’t know Kalief personally she said, “I don’t know him but, I Know him. He’s my nephew, he’s my little brother, he’s all of our baby”. When I asked Rev Jacqui what she would want to see come from the tragic death of Kalief Browder,, she replied, “Someone needs to be held accountable for Kalief’s death.”
To start off the event the Organizer from RAISE THE AGE, Angelo Pinto, had the crowd chant “Justice for Kalief”. People held pictures of Kalief while some help flowers and signs reading, Black Lives Matter, We Remember #KaliefBrowder 1993-2015 and The System is Guilty.
Rev. Jacqui Lewis was the first to speak. “We’re here to grieve”. She spoke about how Kalief began to Die when he was arrested and held without charge of due process. He died every time someone injured him, tortured him isolated him. Rev Jacqui said, The system Has to die so a new system can be built in it’s place”. The system isn’t going to just Die, however. It must be killed by us before it kills us. Otherwise it will continue taking the life force of the people to continue on, like Kalief Browder. Rev Jacqui then went on and said a prayer and requested the crowd to tough another’s shoulder.
Kalief Browder’s brother Kamal, who came with Kalief’s lawyer, Paul Prestia, spoke and thanked everyone for their support of his brother. 
“When you see someone arrested on the news, it’s not over from there. I understand that you guys want answers. We need to stick together as a society”. Pointing to the Detention facility behind him, Kamal said, “That’s what they want us to believe that, They’re in jail, they’re guilty, they’re incarcerated, they’re guilty, they’re accused, they’re guilty. It’s Not that, it’s Innocent until proven guilty. Don’t let society prove to themselves they’re not innocent. Kalief never got to have his chance but, he was strong til the very end.
Kalief was offered “plea” deals with time served if he plead “guilty”. The injustice system treats everyone as if they’re going to play the game and most do. The system knows how to use the people against themselves. Those people make it harder for those like Kalief who stand on Principle til the end and don’t sell out but, because he’s such a rare person, it cost him his “life”. But, I believe, he’s gained a real life.
Angelo Pinto of Justice League NYC, who, about one month ago marched from NYC to DC, addressed the crowd giving them facts on the Prison system. “Every town had a Michael Brown. Every NY State jail has a Kalief Browder. NY state is one of 2 states that automatically prosecutes 16 & 17 year olds as adults for any “crime” that they commit”. (quotes around Crime, mine) Which means that 16 & 17 years olds are housed in adult prisons whether or not they’ve been convicted. Kalief was languishing in Rikers Island for 3 years then just released him because he wouldn’t “cop out”. The system is used to people not being able to stick up for their rights due to lack of funds and support and uses that to it’s advantage. It’s used to people taking pleas because it knows people don’t have the resources or $$. So essentially, the “Justice” system is about $$ and NOT about Guilt or innocence. You’re Guilty if you don;t have $$ and innocent, not matter what you’ve done, if you do!
Angelo mention Green facility in upstate NY where most 16 & 17 year old are housed and the report that was done by the Correction association showing Green was one of most violent prisons in NY state. More violent than Attica. “We’re lucky that Kalief’s story got press because this is something that happens quite frequently”. A young man of 18 hung himself in Rikers Island on Wednesday. The legislative session will end in NY state next week. There’s a Raise the Age bill on the table taking 16 and 17 year olds from prisons and remove them from family court. “If it doesn’t get done next week, we’ll have to wait another year”, said Angelo Pinto.
TWEET YOUR SENATOR AND GOVERNOR and tell them to Raise the Age, but not create a baby Supermax. Raise the age right.
I disagree with the Raise the Age premise. My feeling is that Rikers and places like it should be CLOSED permanently because prison Serves NO One but those profiting at the “top”. Bankers should be n jail, Not kids. NO one, no matter what the age, because Rikers is filled 90% with people who don’t belong there. It’s not a place where someone can recover and pay their “debt” to society. The “debt” never ends and there are Corporations in line making $$ hand over fist to keep people in jails for Non crimes. This system Manufactures Criminals. When will a banker be Jailed? When will Daniel Pantaleo be jailed?
Last mention, Mysonne Linen from Raise the Age and who spent time in prison at age 21 for crimes he did not commit, spoke. “We’re forced to come together to morn another young black male killed by the system. Another young black man excluded from the American Dream but, Included in it’s Nightmare”. “I know what that pain is”. Mysonne spent 7 years and 60 days of that in Solitary confinement. “Those were the worse days I ever spent in my life. Solitary Confinement is Inhumane, it destroys the soul, it desensitizes you and it detaches you from reality. It’s impossible for anyone to leave a 12 x 12 cell without leaving a piece of his mind there .” Mysonne was older and he said he could not imagine what that did to a 16 year old boy. “You add the disgusting Physical abuse from officers and inmates, Kalief didn’t commit suicide, he was murdered! 
KALIEF WAS MURDERED BY THOSE OFFICERS WHO ABUSED HIM”, HE WAS MURDERED BY THE SYSTEM WHO CHARGES KIDS as Adults for Petty “crimes”, (Normal behavior, not crime, parenthesis mine) Solitary Confinement is Mental Death. “No Human should have to be subjected to torture”. I’m going to fight until kids are allowed to be kids, to make mistakes and be allowed to grow. The effects from Solitary are catastrophic, “even though he was let out, Kalief never returned”.
Travis Morales of Stop Mass Incarceration spoke last about Kalief’s struggle to come out of the Psychological & Spiritual Debt Kalief had to go into to stick to his convictions and not plea out. 
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A smaller group of the Organizers held a circle and said a prayer for all those incarcerated unjustly by this, injustice, for profit $4 system. 
Picture with Ron Davis, father of slain Florida teen, Jordan Davis. Documentary about Jordan Davis, 3 1/2 minutes, to be shown in NYC Thurs eve and Friday.
Videos can be found on my youtube Channel April Watters,, https://youtu.be/wPg_N_AfYGM
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