FOUNDER & CEO
HE DIDN’T STUDY REENTRY FROM A DISTANCE.
Rabin Woods spent more than 15 years within the correctional system before rebuilding his own life through recovery, education, service, counseling, and entrepreneurship.
That lived experience became the foundation for Jus Tus.
THE BEGINNING
THE IDEA STARTED BEHIND THE WALLS.
While serving time at Soledad State Prison, Rabin began thinking beyond his own release.
He had seen people complete programs for one issue—substance use, anger, behavior—while still lacking the life skills, housing, employment, support, and opportunity needed to build a different future.
That raised a bigger question:
WHAT DOES IT ACTUALLY TAKE FOR SOMEONE TO COME HOME AND BUILD A DIFFERENT LIFE?
That question became part of the foundation for Jus Tus.
MAY 28, 2001
ONE DAY OUT. ONE MOMENT THAT CHANGED THE DIRECTION.
One day after being released from jail, Rabin narrowly escaped being murdered.
After getting away, he was arrested when police found a small amount of drugs in his possession and was returned to custody.
Rabin describes that night as his “last hit.”
Months later, while facing the possibility of a lengthy prison sentence, he was given the opportunity to enter treatment instead of returning to prison.
On the way to treatment, he retrieved nonprofit paperwork he had already begun developing.
He entered that program injured, but determined to change his life.
For Rabin, that opportunity became his own chance to go “straight from the gate” into something different.
WHAT CAME NEXT
RECOVERY WAS THE START. NOT THE FINISH.
Rabin committed himself to treatment, returned to school, pursued psychology and drug-counseling work, and began building the knowledge and experience that would later shape Jus Tus.
His work expanded into direct service with people navigating homelessness, addiction, unemployment, mental-health challenges, reentry, and other barriers.
Drug counseling
Recovery and behavior-change programming
Education and tutoring
Housing First-related services
Homeless outreach
Veteran outreach
Leadership development
Reentry support
Public and community service systems
LIVED EXPERIENCE + DIRECT SERVICE
HE HAS NEEDED THE SYSTEM. AND HELPED OTHERS NAVIGATE IT.
Rabin’s perspective comes from both sides.
He has experienced incarceration, addiction, recovery, and reentry personally—and later worked within city, county, state, and federally supported programs helping others navigate housing, behavioral health, homelessness, employment, recovery, and reintegration.
That combination shapes the way Jus Tus approaches people today.
Teacher’s aide and drug counselor while incarcerated at Soledad
Senior Advisor with Project P.R.I.D.E.
Chairman of Core at Walden House, Los Angeles
Leadership Training Coach with Celebrate Recovery at CCI Tehachapi
ProLiteracy America Certified Tutor
More than 5,000 tutoring hours
Los Angeles County Housing First / Department of Health Services-related work
Federally funded homeless veteran outreach
Experience across city, county, state, and federal programs
WHAT HE LEARNED
THE PROBLEM IS NEVER THE WHOLE PERSON.
Rabin does not believe in defining someone by addiction, anger, incarceration, or any single mistake.
His experience taught him that solving one problem does not prevent the next challenge from arriving.
Jus Tus was built around helping people develop the internal and practical skills to face whatever comes next.
“WHAT I ALWAYS WANTED TO DO WITH JUS TUS WAS TO DEAL WITH THE HUMAN BEING, THE SPIRIT OF A HUMAN.”
— Rabin Woods, Founder & CEO
“Not just drugs and alcohol. Not just anger management. I want to give people the skill sets to deal with anything that comes up in their life.”
— Rabin Woods, Founder & CEO
ECONOMIC MOBILITY
REENTRY SHOULD LEAD TO MORE THAN SURVIVAL.
Rabin’s own life eventually reflected the kind of economic mobility he wanted other people to have access to.
He became an entrepreneur and entered Los Angeles’ cannabis social-equity program as someone directly impacted by cannabis criminalization and the War on Drugs.
Rabin received Social Equity License 43 and went on to become the majority owner of Cannabis House.
That experience added another dimension to his work: ownership, entrepreneurship, economic opportunity, and the possibility of turning past harm into future opportunity.
THE WORK CONTINUES
COMING HOME SHOULD BE THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING.
Rabin’s story is not the mission.
It is the reason he believes the mission is possible.
Jus Tus exists to help people who have been counted out, overlooked, or defined by their past build the stability, skills, opportunity, and purpose needed to move forward.
“THE GOAL, REALLY, IS TO SERVE PEOPLE, TO REALLY BE IMPACTFUL, REALLY CHANGING LIVES. THAT’S THE GOAL.”
— Rabin Woods, Founder & CEO
THE STANDARD
HELP SHOULD MULTIPLY.
“IN MY WORLD, YOU’RE NOT EVEN A SUCCESSFUL GRADUATE UNTIL YOU’RE STARTING TO HELP SOMEBODY ELSE.”
— Rabin Woods, Founder & CEO
For Rabin, the goal is not dependency.
It is transformation that creates stability, capability, opportunity, and eventually another person who can give something back.
THE NEXT CHAPTER
BUILD WHAT COMES NEXT.
Learn how Jus Tus is helping justice-impacted people move toward stability, opportunity, and purpose—or connect with us if you or someone you know needs support.