Biography

James B. Sweatt, II was born in Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1953.   His family moved to Louisville in the early 1960’s where he currently lives.  He began his college career at Southwestern Christian College in Terrell, Texas graduating in 1973 with a degree in Sociology.

Sweatt began his career with the Kentucky Department of Corrections in 1975 as a Corrections Officer at the Kentucky State Reformatory.  He held this position until 1980 when he was promoted and transferred to Luther Luckett Correctional Complex as a Lieutenant.  In 1981, he returned to the Kentucky State Reformatory as Unit Lieutenant in the Assessment and Classification Center.  He remained in that position until 1985 when he was promoted to Assistant Unit Director of the Assessment and Classification Center. In 1987 he was promoted to Unit Director of the A/C Center.  In 1995, Sweatt was promoted and transferred to the Justice Cabinet as Assistant Director of the Central Kentucky Treatment Center.  He held this position until 1997 when he transferred to the Department of Juvenile Justice, Community Service Branch as the Department’s Court Monitor in Louisville.   In August 1999, he re-entered Adult Institutions when he was appointed as Deputy Warden at Luther Luckett Correctional Complex and retired from that position in December 2002.    Sweatt was appointed Warden at Roederer Correctional Complex in March 2003 where he currently remains. 

Sweatt has been an active member with the Kentucky Council on Crime and Delinquency (KCCD) for over 20 years.  He has held positions such as President and Treasurer of the Louisville Chapter of KCCD.  He is also a past member of the State Board of Directors for KCCD.  Sweatt is an active member of the Southern States Correctional Association.  He was chairperson for the Hospitality Committee for the 1998 and 2004 Southern States Correctional Association Conferences held in Louisville.  During that conference, he was elected to the position of State Representative for Kentucky until July 2004.

Sweatt is a divorced father of one son.  He enjoys spending time with his son, playing basketball, restoring antique cars, and singing gospel music with his church choir.