Honey Brook Native Advocates for Social Justice at Veterans Treatment Courts in Pennsylvania

Haley Shultz, a Honey Brook native and Kolbe Fellow at Gettysburg College, is advocating for social justice at Veterans Treatment Courts in Pennsylvania, writes Molly Foster for Gettysburg College.

A double major in public policy and political science, Shultz worked alongside Gettysburg Public Policy Professor Anne Douds to develop action items that would improve the courts’ current processes.

“I learned about problem-solving courts through a previous internship,” said Shultz, “and finally being able to do my own research in the courts because of an idea my professor shared with me has been a nice full-circle moment for me.”

The focal point of Shultz’s research is victim rights within veteran courts. As these courts prioritize veterans’ healing, justice for other victims has become a lesser priority. This strays from the main intent of these courts to respect both the rights of defendants and victims of crime.

“There are legal rights – federal and state – that victims have, that are supposed to be applied to all courts of law,” said Shultz. “But what I found is those legal rights are not being fulfilled all of the time.”

Read more about Haley Shultz’s research from Gettysburg College here.

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