The suicide of a 22-year-old, who for three years had been jailed without trial, prompted New York Mayor Bill de Blasio to promise that the city would intensify reforms at its Rikers Island prison complex, Reuters noted.

Kalief Browder, who was 16 when he was arrested in 2010 for allegedly stealing a backpack, was held in solitary confinement for 400 days because his family was unable to raise a $10,000 bond; he was released in May 2013 when prosecutors dismissed his case but continued to struggle with mental illness, according to the New Yorker, which first reported the incident.

"There is no reason he should have gone through this ordeal, and his tragic death is a reminder that we must continue to work each day to provide the mental health services so many New Yorkers need," de Blasio said in a statement.

The mayor used Browder's case, however, to tout his administration's "efforts on Rikers Island, where we are working to ensure no New Yorkers spend years in jail waiting for their day in court."

The young man had always denied the accusations and would not accept a plea deal, wanting to prove his innocence in court. At the time of his death, Bowder had a lawsuit pending against New York City, Fox News detailed.

During his confinement, the then-teenager had already attempted suicide more than once, and he later said that he was scarred from the ordeal.

"People tell me because I have this case against the city I'm all right," Bowder told the New Yorker. "But I'm not all right. I'm messed up. I know that I might see some money from this case, but that's not going to help me mentally. I'm mentally scarred right now. That's how I feel. Because there are certain things that changed about me and they might not go back."

In the meantime, de Blasio has banned solitary confinement for 16- and 17-year-old inmates, but Rikers Island is still known for a culture of violence, including attacks by correction officers on prisoners and the deaths of multiple inmates in custody, Reuters said.