Calvin Buari secured the black Volkswagen Jetta before the imposing concrete edifice of Green Haven Correctional Facility, a place that was once his unwelcome abode. He looked up at the intimidating infrastructure, taking a long breath as memories filled his mind. Not long ago, he was on the other side, bound by the walls that imprisoned him. But this day in June 2017 seemed very different; he was not here as an inmate but as an entrepreneur helping an old lady visit her incarcerated grandson.
Only a month earlier, Buari strode out of this prison as a freeman, vindicated after spending years trying to shake off a misguidedly dealt verdict for a double murder. He immediately set up Ryderz Van Service, his own business venture, a concept he likens to the ‘Uber for penal visits’, right after obtaining his driver’s license.
This particular day was an uncanny one as Buari found himself on his first journey back to the prison since he was discharged. He interacted freely with the jail staff, sharing his business cards actively. His humble Jetta seemed a different era when compared to the flashy BMW he once drove as a narcotics peddler in the Bronx during the 90s. But he was no longer the man he used to be, instead, he was now a liberated man making sincere efforts to reshape his life.
Every day he made his way to the prison for his business, it acted as a stark reminder of how swiftly one’s liberty could be lost. In his previous life, Buari, the street smart narcotics peddler, made quite a sight with his Rolex watches, gold chains, and high fashion outfits. His choice of career made him an easy suspect leading to his conviction.
With much resilience and will, Buari stuck with this entrepreneurial spirit, despite being an academic dropout in the 10th grade. However, his life took a drastic turn on the eve of September 10, 1992, as a heart-wrenching incident unfolded.
Two siblings, Elijah and Salhaddin Harris, were enjoying their Jamaican meal inside their stationary car when a shooter mercilessly descended on them, ending their lives abruptly. A couple of years later, in October 1995, Buari was wrongfully pronounced guilty on two charges of secondary murder by the Bronx Supreme Court jury. His sentence was a life-altering 50 years to life imprisonment.
In the initial years following his indictment, a disgruntled Buari reverted to his familiar paths, dealing narcotics inside the prison. However, upon his release, Buari found himself actively involved in an array of things.
He embarked on a legal battle against the city and the state, claiming victory and winning settlements worth millions of dollars. His entrepreneurial spirit now focused on the real-estate markets in New York and Texas and has even purchased a house worth a million dollars in the suburbs of Houston.
In the present day, Buari employs further drivers for his transportation venture, which he defines as a full-scale service that facilitates relative visits to prisoners across suburban New York and New Jersey prisons.
Buari acknowledges his continuous growth and strives for self-improvement every single day. He confides that his journey of redemption is far from its close. In contrast, it has only just begun.