Lizbeth Cordova Lopez ’26 is a psychology major with minors in education, schooling, and society and poverty studies, who is also an AnBryce Scholar. During the summer of 2025, she traveled to Oslo, Norway, with support from the Nanovic Institute and the Transformational Leadership Program to continue her work on restorative justice and the criminal justice system.

During the summer of 2023, I had the opportunity to participate in an inspiring program, NDBridge, via the Center for Social Concerns (CSC). It reshaped my career direction and my passion for the future. As part of the experience, I traveled to Columbus, Ohio, to work with Accompanying Returning Citizens with Hope, a remarkable reentry program. Throughout my experience with the program, I worked with numerous individuals incarcerated in Ohio Reformatory for Women and the organization's transitional home for women. At ORW, I led discussions on Richard Rohr's "Breathing Under Water" with groups of 10-15 women, encouraging them to reflect on their journeys of healing and building relationships with loved ones. That summer sparked big questions that I explored throughout my sophomore year:

• Which places and organizations focus on restorative justice processes with returning citizens?

• Are there programs where previously incarcerated individuals can reconcile with those they've hurt?

• If so, where and how are these programs used best?

Interestingly, a new course titled “Mass Incarceration Research Lab” was added to the CSC, which I joined and where I crafted a research paper on mental health programs in the U.S. and Norway. My paper was based on a theoretical evaluative approach. I discovered that Norway had a unique approach to incarceration that focused on rehabilitation and reintegration into society. They used small community-based correctional facilities to promote acceptance and success upon reentry. They aimed to make incarcerated individuals functioning members of society. This approach proved to be successful in reducing recidivism rates and improving the well-being of incarcerated individuals. This struck me to the core! This was not only because it was precisely the kind of question I had been asking but also because Europe, especially Norway, was an unfamiliar place to me. As my sophomore year progressed, I discovered more about the Nanovic Institute and found an internship in Oslo, Norway, the place I had previously researched!

In Oslo, I interned with the Stiftelsen Breakthrough Foundation, a nonprofit focused on the aftercare of incarcerated individuals. They tailor programs that help inmates rewrite their narratives to boost their identity and confidence.

"working for a nonprofit requires a lot of faith, patience, and dedication. Even after finishing tasks, there's always potential to contribute more."

During my time in Norway, I had many responsibilities because, as I have learned, working for a nonprofit requires a lot of faith, patience, and dedication. Even after finishing tasks, there's always potential to contribute more. Every day differed: I worked on website design, survey analysis, and learning the application process for Breakthrough's restorative justice course. I was taught how to interview a person for the course and how, depending on the cohort, it was specially structured and tailored to each individual.

On Wednesdays, I helped organize the Restorative Justice Cafe, serving coffee, tea, and delicious Norwegian desserts. It was an enriching experience that allowed me to deeply understand the struggles of being formerly incarcerated and the progress that is still yet to be made around restorative justice practices and programs in prisons. This environment was filled with lots of joy, compassion, and healing. My boss, Anne-Kari, led and fostered a space for creativity and community engagement through singing, bracelet-making, and crafting. I thoroughly enjoyed singing along to "You've Got a Friend" by Carole King and getting to know each individual and their unique story.

My goal coming into this summer service internship was to be completely enthralled in the community, and as I expected, it wholly challenged and changed me. This experience gave me a transformative perspective on restorative justice processes and the need for communication and community while continuing this journey toward a more understanding and accepting community. I am filled with immense hope and the affirmation that establishing a nonprofit and working in this community is what I am determined to pursue.

Lizbeth was also recently featured in a video and article by Notre Dame Admissions.

Originally published by Lizbeth Cordova Lopez at nanovic.nd.edu on October 10, 2024.