A Letter From Our Founder
Dear Community Partner,
I founded The Comeback Lab because I believe every young woman deserves the opportunity to become more than the circumstances surrounding them.
For some girls, those circumstances include involvement in the juvenile justice system. For others, it may mean growing up with an incarcerated parent, experiencing the effects of a parent's involvement with the justice system, or becoming a victim of crime themselves. These experiences are different, but they can leave young women facing many of the same questions:
Who am I? Am I capable of something different? How do I move forward? Who is going to help me get there?
Our work begins with girls ages 13–18 in West Texas, particularly those who are justice-involved, have been impacted by incarceration within their families, or have experienced victimization. We are beginning with an eight-week mentorship and personal development program because I believe that before we can ask a young woman to change her circumstances, we have to give her the tools, support, and confidence to believe change is possible.
That is the message I want every girl who enters The Comeback Lab to carry with her.
Your circumstances may be part of your story, but they do not have to write the ending. For a girl on probation, that may mean learning to make different choices and believe that one mistake does not define her. For the daughter of an incarcerated parent, it may mean understanding that her parent's choices are not her identity or her destiny. For a young victim of crime, it may mean rebuilding her sense of safety, self-worth, and confidence after something happened to her.
Our approach is not about placing these experiences into the same box. It is about creating a place where each young person can receive the support appropriate to her circumstances while developing the skills, relationships, and sense of possibility she needs to move forward.
My long-term vision is for The Comeback Lab to become a comprehensive resource for girls and families affected by justice involvement and victimization throughout West Texas. I envision an organization providing mentorship, case management, counseling, family support, educational programming, and connections to legal and community resources, all under one roof.
I invite you to help us build that future.
With gratitude,
Audrey D. Johnson
Founder & Executive Director
The Comeback Lab N.P.C.
Mission Statement
Vision, Cause, & Goals
Public Policy Plans
To empower justice-involved girls, daughters of incarcerated individuals, and girls impacted by victimization through mentorship, life skills development, and supportive services that foster healing, resilience, and positive life outcomes.
This project serves justice-involved girls, daughters of incarcerated individuals, and girls impacted by victimization in Texas, beginning in Lubbock and surrounding communities. It addresses gaps in mentorship, emotional support, and reentry resources that contribute to cycles of trauma and justice involvement. The organization will provide mentorship and life skills programming, with plans to expand into case management and counseling services to support long-term healing, stability, and positive life outcomes.
The organization will raise awareness and engage with policymakers to support local and state initiatives that improve outcomes for justice-involved youth, including expanded mental health services and alternatives to incarceration.
What We Believe
Circumstances are not destiny.
A difficult beginning does not have to determine a girl's ending.
Growth requires both support and accountability.
We create spaces where girls can feel supported while learning to take ownership of their choices.
Skills create possibilities.
Confidence matters, but so do practical skills, healthy relationships, emotional regulation, education, and future planning.
Every girl deserves to be seen as more than her circumstances.
We meet girls where they are while helping them envision where they can go.
Meet LOTUS
Our Signature Program
Through LOTUS, girls explore:
Identity & Self Worth
Understanding who they are and recognizing their value.
Choices & Accountability
Learning how decisions shape their lives and futures.
Emotional Regulation
Developing healthier ways to understand and respond to emotions.
Relationships & Boundaries
Building healthier relationships and learning to establish boundaries.
Life Skills
Developing practical skills that support independence and everyday success.
Health & Hygiene
Building habits that support personal wellness, confidence, and self care.
Resilience & Future Planning
Learning to move through setbacks while creating goals for what comes next.
Growth & New Beginnings
Reflecting on their growth and recognizing that the journey continues beyond the program.
From the mud. Through the water. Into bloom.
Growth • Goals • New Beginnings
LOTUS is The Comeback Lab's 8 week personal development program for girls ages 13 to 18.
Inspired by the lotus flower's journey from the mud, through the water, and into bloom, LOTUS encourages girls to recognize that growth is not always easy or linear. The circumstances surrounding them may be difficult, but those circumstances do not define who they can become.