James Litkett

Chaplain James Litkett was born in Harlem and raised in the Bronx. From ages 16-20 he was in and out of Rikers, and in the 90s, starting dealing heroin to sustain his own use. He describes his frequent stints at Rikers as a "getaway" from hustling. On one visit, Litkett was placed in an area of Rikers designated for relocation to prison and describes, for the first time, feeling scared. While incarcerated at Rikers, he worked in the kitchen and stole chicken that he would resell in the dorms. Litkett discusses the sense of community and accountability to his sobriety that he experiences as a leader of his congregation. He refers to Rikers as "the whole systematic destroying of a people," and feels skeptical about the closure of Rikers due to a lack of alternatives to incarceration. (Summary written by: Carson Stachura)