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At 19, University of Virginia freshman Cheyenne Klapper is helping reshape how young people accused of misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies are held accountable—without saddling them with criminal records that could follow them for life.
Klapper works with the Center for Youth and Family Advocacy’s Youth Restorative Diversion Initiative, which uses restorative justice programs to steer juvenile cases away from the traditional court system. The nonprofit was founded five years ago by two defense attorneys who had witnessed inequities and imbalances in their caseloads.
The work complements Klapper’s broader advocacy for criminal justice reform. A vegan for six years, she also supports environmental justice, animal rights and changes to food policy. She plans to attend law school and continue pursuing systemic change.
“One of the misconceptions is that these kids deserve punishment,” Klapper said. While participants must examine their behavior critically, she said, the process is not intended to be punitive. She argued that restorative approaches can strengthen communities while punitive measures can contribute to higher recidivism.
One of the initiative’s programs, Youth Peer Court, allows other young people to hear and decide cases involving misdemeanors or nonviolent felonies. Instead of receiving a criminal record, participants may be required to volunteer, complete educational modules, apologize or write letters acknowledging the harm they caused. The response is tailored to the underlying circumstances of each case.
Zipporah Baldwin, the center’s director of programs, said more than 70 cases have entered the program and every referred participant has voluntarily completed the required process.
Participants who drop out can be referred back to police. Some who finish the program later return as Youth Peer Court ambassadors, helping others navigate the same second-chance process.
Klapper joined the organization in 2023 while completing a capstone internship during her senior year of high school. She contributed about 350 volunteer hours for course credit, beginning with training and service in Youth Peer Court and Promoting Empathy through Equitable Resolution.
Unlike Peer Court, the PEER program brings both sides of a dispute together to develop a restorative agreement. Klapper also became one of the first members of the organization’s Youth Advisory Board.
Baldwin said Klapper played a major role in determining how the new programs would operate and how staff and volunteers could work effectively with participating teenagers.
Klapper later concluded that simply meeting with young people, hearing their concerns and reporting them to others was not enough. With assistance from student volunteers, she redesigned the Youth Advisory Board during the summer, establishing new rules, committees and internship roles.
“I created the new rules for the Youth Advisory Board. I created the committees, and I looked at people to intern,” she said. Drawing inspiration from student-led organizations at UVA, she built the revamped board around student self-governance.
More than 20 students now serve across four committees, many while also working as Peer Court ambassadors. Overseen by Klapper, the committees identify community and national concerns and develop practical steps for addressing them. Her aim is to encourage members to lead their own efforts rather than wait for instructions.
Baldwin said Klapper’s willingness to hear different perspectives is central to her leadership. Despite her varied experiences, she said, Klapper consistently gives others room to voice their ideas and concerns.
Klapper also became the organization’s first program committee chair. In that role, she led planning for the inaugural Listen Learn Lead Summit, a public event intended to help students understand issues affecting their well-being and take action toward healthier, more equitable communities.
The organization’s work also includes teaching young people about their rights and how to interact with law enforcement.