Kalief Browder, a Black American teenager, was wrongfully accused of stealing a backpack in 2010. He was arrested and held at Rikers Island for three years without trial, despite maintaining his innocence. During his time in jail, he endured physical and emotional abuse, including solitary confinement. Kalief's story is not an isolated incident but rather a powerful example of the systemic issues plaguing our criminal justice system.

The United States incarcerates more people than any other country globally with over 2 million individuals behind bars (NAACP). A disproportionate number of these inmates are people of color - African Americans are incarcerated at more than five times the rate of whites (NAACP). This disparity is not due to higher crime rates among minorities but rather systemic biases within our criminal justice system.

Our prisons have become modern-day slavery institutions where inmates often work for pennies on the dollar while corporations profit from their labor. This exploitation is made possible by the 13th Amendment which allows for involuntary servitude as punishment for crime.

We must all come together to address these racial disparities and end modern slavery within our jails. I call upon lawmakers to enact reforms that ensure fair treatment regardless of race or economic status, reduce excessive bail amounts that disproportionately affect minority communities, eliminate forced labor practices within prisons, and hold law enforcement accountable for racial profiling and wrongful accusations.

Sign this petition to demand justice reform now!