Jay Z, calling juvenile solitary 'inhumane,' backs TV series

NEW YORK (AP) — Rap superstar Jay Z is helping shine a light on prison reform by co-producing an upcoming TV documentary about a young man who spent three years behind bars without trial for allegedly stealing a backpack.

The rapper teamed up Harvey Weinstein to produce the six-part "TIME: The Kalief Browder Story," which airs in January on Spike TV. It uses first-person accounts, prison footage and cinematic recreations to explore what Jay Z called a system that's "broken."

Jay Z, attending a press conference Thursday with Browder's mother, the filmmakers and Weinstein, said he hoped Browder's story "inspires others and saves other lives."