City Needs ‘Some Type of Bail Reform,’ de Blasio Says After Kalief Browder Suicide

[hrmjustin]

Jillian Jorgensen


Mayor Bill de Blasio said today that the experience of Kalief Browder, who spent at Rikers Island because his family couldn’t afford to pay his $3,000 bail, is an “eye-opener” when it comes to a need for bail reform.

“I think his case was an eye-opener to New Yorkers across the board,” Mr. de Blasio told the Observer today at an unrelated press conference in Manhattan. “There’s just no reason that someone should be held for a long period of time if they can’t pay bail and we can help, a modest bail level like that.”



Read more at http://observer.com/2015/06/city-needs-some-type-of-bail-reform-de-blasio-says-after-kalief-browder-suicide/#ixzz3cZgBmY6J

[valerief]

1. Eye-opener, my ass. Doesn't he know about income inequality today? nt

[Smarmie Doofus]

2. Unbelievably horrible story. Here's the NY Times version:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/09/nyregion/kalief-browder-held-at-rikers-island-for-3-years-without-trial-commits-suicide.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=second-column-region&region=top-news&WT.nav=top-news&_r=0

Three years w/o a trial . Three years.

For taking a friggin back-pack. Which it sounds like he didn't take in the first place.