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Jay Z’s New Doc About A Teen Who Spent Three Years In Prison Without Trial Is Here

Kalief Browder’s story will be told in a new six-part series

A new documentary series produced by Jay Z will tell the story of Kalief Browder, a young man from New York who spent three years in prison without trial as a teen and later committed suicide.

On Wednesday (March 1), the first part of TIME: The Kalief Browder Story will premiere on Spike. The six-part documentary employs interviews with Browder's family as well as footage from his time incarcerated at Rikers Island. [Note: Spike and MTV News are both owned by Viacom.]

In 2010, Browder was arrested at age 16 after being accused of stealing a backpack. Unable to make bail, he refused to accept a plea deal, maintaining his innocence, and was held at Rikers until 2013, when a judge dismissed his case.

Browder committed suicide in 2015. His lawyer said that the conditions he endured at Rikers, including being placed in solitary confinement, contributed directly to his death. His story has since been cited in criticisms of solitary confinement, especially for young people, and in calls to reform the criminal-justice system.

TIME: The Kalief Browder Story premieres March 1 at 10 p.m. ET/9 p.m. CT on Spike.

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