10 Disturbing Documentary TV Series That Will Haunt You Forever
4. Time: The Kalief Browder Story
In 2010, 16-year-old African-American Kalief Browder was arrested in The Bronx, New York City for "stealing" a rucksack. The police found no evidence of the theft, but the brother of the victim identified Kalief and his friend as the thieves.
Despite never being convicted of the crime, Kalief spent three years at Rikers Island prison, two of them in solitary confinement. In 2013, he was finally released, but his time in jail took a heavy toll on the young man and, just two years later, he would end his own life.
This documentary, which originally broadcast on Spike in 2017, tells Kalief's story from his arrest, to the abuse and physical violence he suffered whilst incarcerated, to his eventual release and tragic end. It is a hard watch, but one that will completely change the way you see the law and prison culture.
With the weight of Jay Z behind it as a producer, Time: The Kalief Browder Story is a brilliantly made series of films exploring the darkest sides of the American justice system, the irony being the complete and utter lack of "justice" presence throughout the whole story.