Today we’d like to introduce you to Zeus Luby.
Hi Zeus, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My story started when I was 18 with a seemingly insignificant clerical error. Someone simply neglected to remove my case from a court docket. Meaning: a county employee failed to remove my case from the legal calendar. All cases on a legal calendar are presented before a judge. My case was transferred from one court docket to another without any explanation as to why. I simply received a letter in the mail instructing me that my initial court date, time, and location had been changed and that I was to “Disregard Previous Notice”. Led by the professional guidance of the attorney I hired at that time, we followed those instructions, appeared before the new judge, reached a verdict, and settled my case. I was hit with the charge of “possession of a deadly weapon within 100 feet of school grounds” a year prior. I was pulled over as I drove past my high school and the officer found a work knife in my car. Had I driven another hundred feet or so I’d have been totally fine. Given how absurd the charge was I just wanted to put the entire fiasco behind me. Unfortunately, a week after settling my case, police came to my home with a warrant for my arrest claiming I failed to appear for the court regarding that same “weapon on school grounds” charge and they took me back to jail. Incensed and incredulous I Called my attorney for an explanation and he casually expressed that they “made a mistake”. It was truly mind-boggling. My freedom was taken from me as a result of a mistake!? I was flabbergasted. I called my attorney, I posted bail, and once out, I dove back into my regular routine in an attempt to put the ordeal behind me. What I was unaware of at the time is that this mixup left me as a convicted felon and would lead to the gradual ruin of my professional reputation and thrust me back into the throws of financial struggle which I’d fought so hard to break free from.
I worked as an electrician and mechanic building MARTA (Atlanta transit line) rail car units at the time of addressing my charges. I learned of my criminal record after leaving that job in pursuit of greater opportunities. It took two years for me to learn that I was a felon. By then I’d already submitted my resume to and filled out applications for positions at countless companies and organizations. Stating that my criminal record was clear while a basic background check proved otherwise and made me seem as an ignorant liar crippled my standing as a hirable candidate. Once I was made aware of my plight I began the long and arduous journey of righting such a monumental and damaging wrong. The lessons I learned, hardships I endured, and the innumerable professional capacities I operated in during this period are what helped me to get where I am today.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
My journey to where I am, who I am, and all the realms in which I operate has been anything but smooth. Living as a convicted felon disqualifies you from so many of life’s underappreciated amenities. You’re unable to vote, qualify for loans, rent any living spaces, join the military, attend most colleges and universities, and secure most well-paying jobs.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m the Director of Programming for RED Inc. A restorative justice-focused nonprofit, dedicated to reducing correctional control and breaking the corrosive cycle of rampant recidivism. My passion for helping my community heal, progress, and evolve is well-known and well-documented. In my role with RED, that passion is focused on our youth, and providing them with a second chance at creating the life they deserve. Our rehabilitation program works with justice-impacted youth to teach them immediately applicable life skills, provides them with credentials and training to become gainfully employed, and restricts their criminal record upon graduating so they can pursue their dreams with a clean slate.
What separates RED from all other programs in this space is our focus on the “human component’. I spend time with each participant to genuinely get to know them, understand them, and share my story with them. This helps them understand that RED was created by individuals very similar to themselves. That builds a bridge of reliability, which forms a foundational bond. That bond creates trust in me and in the intentions of the program. Seeing that trust form and watching our participants gradually open up and buy into the family culture I strive to create is what I’m most proud of. That factor is what inspires them to graduate.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
RED’s mission to stop recidivism is a cause most aren’t familiar with, but an issue that impacts us all. There are innumerable young men and women who have spiraled into criminality simply due to a lack of support, progressive guidance, and lenience. If we, as a society, put more effort into making time for and pouring into our young people, less of them would get caught up with problematic peers. Less would gravitate to problematic groups. To all who read this who are not yet dedicating time to supporting your community’s rising generations: get active!
Contact Info:
- Website: StopRecidivism.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeusluby/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zeus.luby
Image Credits
Ross Gordon Elliot Freeman
