For nearly two decades, Enrique Pardo has dedicated his life to helping young people avoid the same roads he once traveled. At 73 years old and preparing for retirement from the Southwest Organizing Project’s Communities Partnering 4 Peace (CP4P) team, Enrique reflects on a journey marked by hardship, transformation, and an unwavering belief that people deserve second chances.

Born in Havana, Enrique spent his early childhood in Cuba before immigrating to the United States at the age of 14 with his mother and siblings. His family first settled in Detroit before Enrique before moving to New York City to live with his father. By 1970, he arrived in Chicago, the city he says truly shaped the beginning of his story.

Coming to the United States as a teenager without strong English skills was isolating. Enrique remembers entering classrooms where the language barrier left him feeling disconnected and discouraged. At one point, he found himself sitting among children much younger than himself because bilingual education programs were not widely available at the time.

“It made me feel low,” Enrique recalled. “My self-esteem was affected because I couldn’t communicate.”

Like many young people searching for belonging, Enrique gravitated toward peers who spoke his language and understood his experiences. The streets became a place where he learned English, but they also exposed him to environments and influences that eventually led him into the justice system.

After serving 32 years in prison, Enrique was released in January 2008. But long before he walked free, he had already begun changing the direction of his life.

While incarcerated, Enrique watched younger men enter prison carrying the same pain, confusion, and hopelessness he once carried himself. Seeing parts of his own story reflected in them weighed heavily on him. Rather than accepting the cycle, he decided to intervene.

Together with others, Enrique helped create the Latin Culture Committee, a grassroots effort inside the prison system that encouraged younger incarcerated men to reconnect with their culture, pursue education, and build goals for themselves. What started as mentorship quickly became something much bigger.

“It’s similar to the work I do now, but it wasn’t official then,” Enrique said.

The group created incentives for education, pooling together money to reward young men who earned their GEDs or enrolled in college courses. Enrique believed education could become a turning point for people who had never been encouraged to see possibilities for themselves.

At the same time, Enrique was transforming his own life through learning. He earned his GED, improved his English skills, and began taking college courses. Eventually, he earned degrees in construction technology, culinary arts, and general studies.

“For years I was a part of the problem,” Enrique said. “For the last 18 years, I’ve been trying to be a part of the solution.”

After his release, Enrique joined CeaseFire in the Humboldt Park area, where he worked helping individuals secure housing, transportation, clothing, and other necessities needed to rebuild stability. Years later, after briefly running his own towing business in Indiana, Enrique received a call from Rafi Peterson and Mustafa, asking if he would join SWOP’s Community Violence Intervention work.

He said yes without hesitation. Over the past six years at the Southwest Organizing Project, Enrique has served as both an Outreach Worker and Case Manager, using his lived experiences to connect with participants in ways that cannot be taught in a classroom.

“When I arrived, there were a lot of young guys who needed guidance,” he said. “I feel satisfied doing the work that I do. SWOP is one of the top CP4P organizations and it has been extremely fulfilling.”

Enrique describes his approach as honest and deeply personal. When speaking with young people or individuals returning home from incarceration, he often shares what he calls his “confession” — openly discussing his past in hopes that someone listening might choose a different future.

“I want people to reintegrate back into the community,” he explained. “I know firsthand how hard it is. Some people spend so much time in prison that freedom itself becomes difficult to adjust to.”

Even as retirement approaches on June 30th, Enrique says he is not finished serving his community. Alongside Calvin Brown, Assistant Program Director of CP4P for SWOP,

Enrique hopes to help launch a reentry program focused on supporting formerly incarcerated individuals as they transition back into society.

He believes the work is necessary because too many young people feel trapped by their surroundings and convinced they have no alternatives.

“They need guidance and positive role models,” Enrique said. “Sometimes they feel like they don’t have a choice and I want to break down that illusion.”

For Enrique, violence intervention work is not about judgment. It is about understanding, persistence, and meeting people where they are.

“You never know whose life you change for the better,” he said. “Even if I help one young man, I feel good having done it.”

As he prepares for retirement, Enrique carries both pride and reflection with him. He acknowledges the mistakes that shaped his past, but he also recognizes how those experiences gave him the ability to help others find a different path forward.

“I’ve done everything I can while working within the community,” Enrique said. “I have no regrets except the one that led me down this path originally. But that experience helped me better myself and push others to better themselves, so they don’t follow the steps I took. It’s what keeps pushing me.”

For Enrique Pardo, the work has never simply been a job. It has been heart work — the kind rooted in accountability, healing, and the belief that every person deserves the opportunity to become more than their worst mistake.

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