WASHINGTON, DC – FWD.us President Todd Schulte issued the following statement today on the third anniversary of Kalief Browder’s death:

“Today marks the third anniversary of Kalief Browder’s tragic death. Kalief spent more than one thousand days in jail on Rikers Island as he awaited trial for a crime he didn’t commit. Everyday, 16,000 New Yorkers are jailed in New York on bails they cannot pay.

“Today, Kalief’s brother Akeem, launched the #IStandWithKalief pledge to end wealth-based detention in New York. FWD.us is proud to join the rapidly growing and diverse group of lawmakers and advocates honoring Kalief’s memory by pledging to reform New York’s pretrial system.

“Momentum continues to build for lawmakers to take action and FWD.us will continue to work alongside partners in state to make badly-needed reform a reality this legislative session.”