Freddy Medina

Freddy Medina grew up in Upper West Side of Manhattan. He was incarcerated twice on Rikers, the first time in his early twenties. He details how Rikers was dominated by gang culture, and illustrates how practically every interaction while incarcerated was structured by these power dynamics—including with the corrections officers, who were also gang-affiliated. Medina mentions how he would pick fights to pass the time, saying, "Rikers Island turns you into somebody you're not. It forces you to either be a destructive person or a person that self destructs easily." He recalls being surprised by how many people incarcerated there would take plea deals just to escape Rikers, and discusses the experience of monthy court visits, which entailed stripping naked during processing, and the violence and overcrowding in the bullpens. He is "haunted" by memories of Rikers, and recounts the foggy lighting, the sound of sneakers and plastic scraping the floor, and the smells of body odor, river water, and disinfectant. Medina names Rikers as a "a burial ground for lost souls," and believes that there is no healing from Rikers. (Summary written by: Carson Stachura)