The Savannah Branch of the NAACP held its monthly meeting on Sunday, where Chatham County District Attorney Shalena Cook Jones spoke to community members and gave them an opportunity to ask her questions.
She talked about how the Covid-19 pandemic has impacted the criminal justice system both nationally and here in Chatham County.
“Right now, my office is working very very hard to balance justice with equity for victims and defendants with twice as many cases as before, half the manpower and insufficient resources," Cook Jones said.
Nationally, the average time it takes for a case to be resolved in one year, according to Cook Jones. But, she said it takes two to three years in Chatham County.
She discussed the struggles that her office has faced since the pandemic, but she also highlighted the improvements she's been making.
She said that the pandemic brought a number of systemic issues to light.
"Our criminal justice system...was sick long before Covid, and Covid is not what ails us," Cook Jones said.
She also answered questions about the decriminalization of misdemeanor marijuana charges, racial discrimination within in the justice system, and future plans for the district attorney’s office.