Jay Z, Kalief Browder’s Family Host Town Hall On Criminal Justice Reform

In support of Spike TV’s new six-part docu-series, Time: The Kalief Browder Story, those who worked closely on piecing together the pivotal program will host a town hall special on March 8, a press release states.

Executive producers Jay Z and Harvey Weinstein will join Browder’s family, the program’s director Jenner Furst, and other essential civil rights activists to tackle criminal justice reform during the sit-down, which will precede the second part of the network’s depiction of Browder’s life before and after his unjust arrest and detainment at Rikers Island.

READ: Once Rikers Island Took Kalief Browder’s Life, His Siblings Knew Their Mother Was Next

Browder was arrested in the Bronx in May 2010 for allegedly stealing a backpack. He spent three years on Rikers Island awaiting trial, and out of that time he did 800 days in solitary confinement. He was released in 2013 after the system dismissed the case, but given the stress and agony that he endured in Rikers, Browder committed suicide two years later.

In an interview with VIBE, Browder’s sibling, Deion Browder, shared that his brother’s legacy will not be tarnished by the neglect of the criminal justice system. “He’s going to be known for being the voice of millions of 16-year-olds, 17-year-olds, even adults that had the same struggles he went through, the same depression, the same heartaches, the same thought process, and even those who tried to make the same choices he made as far as committing suicide,” he said. “His legacy will grow from there, and his story will continue to be told for millions that need his voice, that need that support.”

READ: Jay Z Shares The Story Of The Day He Met Kalief Browder

Time And Punishment: A Town Hall Discussion will air at 9 p.m. on March 8 on Spike TV, BET and VH1.