Questionnaires were compiled by The Current based on questions from readers. The answers to each question are verbatim from each candidate with exceptions for exceeding the word count; overages were trimmed. The answers were not edited for style or spelling; candidates were contacted if there was a question of clarity. If a question is skipped, we’ve noted that. If a candidate failed to respond to the questionnaire, we’ve noted that, as well.
Shalena Cook Jones
Campaign email: scj4da@gmail.com
Political affiliation: Democratic
Age: 46
Home: Savannah, 14 years.
Current job/occupation: Chatham County District Attorney
Education (institutions attended, degrees or certificates earned): University of Georgia School of Law, J.D. 1999-2002; Spelman College, B.A. Sociology, 1995-1999
Hometown: Brooklyn, New York
Family: I am divorced with two children. My 15-year-old son attends Jenkins High School in the Robotics and Engineering program. My 16-year-old daughter is dually enrolled in Savannah Arts Academy and Georgia Southern University studying arts and psychology.
What is the main challenge or opportunity facing your constituents?
Our criminal justice system suffers from several systemic flaws. Cases move too slowly which is a disservice to victims and communities and leads to a decreased sense of safety and lack of public trust. The system adversely impacts the poor, disabled, mentally ill, and minority members of our society much more than their wealthy, more affluent counterparts leading to unfair and unjust results. Government officials consistently devote more resources to building jails and prisons pursuant to antiquated “tough-on-crime” rhetoric rather than investing in preventative, diversionary, evidence-backed programs and alternatives that have been tested and proven to have better long-term outcomes. As a result, crime increases and the public is not any safer in the end.
The District Attorney’s primary role is that of an architect or engineer. Her role is to ensure that the prosecutorial system is swift, effective and fair handling cases in such a way that victims harm is redressed in a timely fashion, that the constitutional rights of the accused are observed at every phase, and that public safety is preserved.
Tell us what your priorities would be in the first 100 days of office?
Next term I intend to:
● Continue developing creative recruitment and retention strategies to attract the most qualified, experienced and diverse prosecutors to the office.
● Implement and expand DA-led diversion, youth intervention and returning citizen programs to reduce crime and recidivism.
● Strengthen partnerships with clergy, therapists, and other community stakeholders to build stronger support networks and services for victims of violent crime.
● Identify grant funds and resources to support and grow the Conviction Integrity, Public Affairs and Cold Case Units.
● Collect and preserve performance data and statistics for better quality control, case management, and resource allocation.
What, in your opinion, makes you uniquely qualified to serve your constituents and what sets you apart from your opponents?
I have firsthand experience managing court dockets, trial assignments, discovery pleadings, staffing decisions, and managing an office of 150 employees. I have worked in, and supervised the work of, attorneys in the lower, misdemeanor and felony courts- which is critical experience my opponent does not have. My background in insurance defense and as DA have sharpened my executive-level skills like balancing a multi-million-dollar budget, streamlining processes to create efficiency, setting policy, and casting the overall vision for the office. Although my opponent has handled misdemeanor cases, the role of the District Attorney calls for a much broader scope of expertise.
What are your plans to improve services for your constituents?
Since taking office in 2021, we have made concerted efforts to initiate community education and outreach. For example, we have offered more community-based record restrictions and expungements. This is important because studies have shown that restricting criminal records increases employability and effectively reduces crime by making it easier for people to return to work after paying their debt to society. This is an important service to the community because when crime goes down, everyone benefits. One of our first projects was to make this service available to our constituents on-line for added convenience. We have transformed the face of Child Support Enforcement by supporting Chatham County’s first Parent Accountability Court, and hosting community outreach events to encourage paternity testing and educate parents about legitimization, modification and child support proceedings. The goal here is to decriminalize child support enforcement and promote family reunification and the best interest of the child. We are currently working on a Crime Victims Project wherein we partner with local businesses, churches and organizations to increase the awareness and support for victims of violent crime. In the coming term, we will continue to expand these efforts.
Have you read the budget for your office or board – Yes or No? What priorities would you change?
As the incumbent, I set the annual budget for the office. I will continue pushing to expand resources for additional staff as well as staff training and education, particularly for attorneys and victim advocates. This will ensure that all employees are well equipped to their jobs to the highest level of professional competence, but it also works to improve employee morale and secure employee retention. We have used the budgetary process creatively to reimagine justice and design a system geared toward the future. This means hiring an in-office grant writer to identify alternative funding sources for special programs so that we are not solely reliant on County and government funds, and we can expand reformative justice initiatives.
It means bringing the DA’s Office into the new age by using statistical data, research and analytical software. By doing so, we make the justice system more fair and efficient and improve performance outcomes. But, most importantly, we can understand where our deficits are so we can decrease the time it takes for a case to travel through the system, know how to allocate resources and be more transparent with the public.
What steps should Georgia take to improve quality of life for your constituents?
Working to ensure that all Georgia citizens have access to a livable wage, education and opportunities would not only improve the quality of life for all citizens, but would also reduce crime and recidivism. Studies have shown that access to education and economic opportunities, particularly for socially and economically depressed constituents, provides positive alternatives to crime, drug culture, gang activity and violence. It has been said that ‘a rising tide raises all boats.’ While crime is a social-ill that we will never be able to get rid of completely, it is true that improving the quality of life and investing in crime-ridden communities promotes the ideals of equality and fairness but also has the added benefit of increasing public safety.
How do you feel you can improve public safety in your role if elected?
Together, we can increase public safety in Chatham County by doing two things. (1) Reduce the number of people that go into the criminal system; and (2) Support the people who come out of the criminal system.
The best and most effective way to improve public safety is to ensure that we intervene and prevent as much youth involvement in crime as possible. This is easy to do and is well within reach for a county as rich in opportunity as ours. Youth intervention and programming has a direct impact on crime reduction by keeping as many “would-be” offenders out of the system as possible. We can essentially predict how much crime we have tomorrow by looking at how much juvenile crime there is today- and most of it can be prevented. Also, through Offender Re-Entry and Returning Citizens initiatives, we can ensure that incarcerated citizens can return and contribute to society once they have been held accountable for their crimes. By providing access to employment and a livable wage, we make it less likely that they will reoffend. This is the only way to ensure that criminal penalties have been effective.
(Required for sheriff’s candidates) Do you feel staffing and pay is adequate for your department?
Not applicable
If elected, what policies would you favor to deter gun violence?
Our office currently has a diversion program that is run in partnership with The Empowerment Center. The program, Show Us Your Guns, is designed to take guns out of the hands of youthful, non-violent offenders. On the other end of the spectrum, our office works diligently to prosecute gun charges for repeat offenders and those charged with drugs and violent crime.
How do you see yourself creating/supporting policies related to climate change?
Not applicable.
How important is transparency with your constituents after being elected into office? How will you communicate with your constituents on issues?
Transparency is important within the bounds of the law. We have worked to make our office more transparent, accessible and user-friendly by creating the office’s first interactive website and by sharing information on social media platforms. We also communicate through periodic live and digital town hall events and through the publishing of annual and periodic reports.
Is there one key issue driving your run for office? Why?
Yes. Justice for All. See response to Question No. 1.
Andre Pretorius
Campaign email: apret1@aol.com
Political affiliation: Republican
Age: 45
Home: Savannah, 10 years
Current job/occupation: Assistant County Attorney Chatham, Assistant DA Effingham, Assistant Solicitor Effingham, and Solicitor Tybee Island
Education (institutions attended, degrees or certificates earned): Georgia State – Bachelor’s degree, John Marshall Law School – law degree
Hometown: Currently Savannah, we moved a lot, so I don’t really consider any other city my hometown.
Family: wife, Gretchen; 3 boys, Max, 13; Andrew and Lucas, 9.
What is the main challenge or opportunity facing your constituents?
Gun violence in this city has escalated at alarming rates. We have lost over 100 kids and adults to gun violence since 2021, with 20 murders occurring in the city of Savannah alone this year. Victims of violent crimes are not receiving justice and are being ignored. Shooters have no fear of accountability for their actions, they continue to commit more serious crimes. 18 of the people charged with murder in Chatham County since 2023 were out on felony bonds, some with serious violent felonies and gun charges, and some with multiple felonies.
Tell us what your priorities would be in the first 100 days of office?
Restore trust in the DA’s office. We will restart the Special Victims Unit and work to reopen the Family Justice Center. We will provide comprehensive support to victims, ensuring they are informed and involved throughout the legal process. We will prosecute violent offenders with the full force of the law. Rebuild Relationships with Law Enforcement to ensure public safety.
What, in your opinion, makes you uniquely qualified to serve your constituents and what sets you apart from your opponents?
My background has prepared me for this role. Born in South Africa, I moved to the USA at 15 and worked full time, earning a degree from Georgia State and a law degree from John Marshall at night. My career as a prosecutor began in North Georgia, where I tried nearly 100 jury trials and earned the Assistant Solicitor of the Year for Georgia award.
As Assistant District Attorney in Chatham County, I managed a large caseload in multiple courtrooms and I also created successful diversion programs and trained new prosecutors. In addition to my professional experience,
I am deeply committed to community service. I am involved with Operation Kid Forward serving under-privileged youth, Scout Pack 57 on Skidaway, a youth soccer coach, and a member of St. James Catholic Church. I’m also a graduate of Leadership Savannah. I’ve been an organ donor and I’m active in speaking about the benefits of living organ donation.
What are your plans to improve services for your constituents?
1. Restore Trust: Our community deserves a DA who respects the rule of law and the trust of the people. I will ensure that my office operates with transparency and accountability, holding myself and my team to the highest ethical standards. We will rebuild trust with the community and restore the integrity of the DA’s office.
2. Restore Justice for Victims: Victims of crime deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. I will restart the Special Victims Unit and reopen the Family Justice Center. We will provide comprehensive support to victims, ensuring they are informed and involved throughout the legal process. No victim should ever feel abandoned or unheard.
3. Prosecute Crime Rigorously: We will prosecute violent offenders with the full force of the law. We will no longer grant lenient plea deals to offenders who choose to use guns to commit crimes or choose to pull the trigger. By reinstating the Federal prosecutor program and connecting prosecutors directly to police detectives, we will ensure that violent crime will be punished and that justice is served swiftly.
4. Rebuild Relationships with Law Enforcement: The DA’s office must work hand-in-hand with law enforcement to ensure public safety. I will ensure collaboration with law enforcement so together we can make Chatham County safe.
Have you read the budget for your office?
I have read the budget and my priority is to bring in an experienced person to review the budget and look at what cuts need to be made and where we can re-allocate our resources to prosecute cases more efficiently.
What steps should Georgia take to improve quality of life for your constituents?
The DA’s office enforces the laws that are created, we are not the legislative branch. This question is not applicable.
How do you feel you can improve public safety in your role if elected?
Our biggest issue is to prosecute violent offenders with every resource that we have available to us, this includes not releasing violent offenders on bonds so that they can continue to terrorize the community. As the Deputy Chief Assistant DA, I implemented numerous diversion programs, a pre-arrest diversion program for those offenders that can be rehabilitated and kept statistics on those programs. These programs yielded a 95% success rate for individuals who completed the programs to not re-offend. The Mental Health Court, Veterans Court, DUI Court and Drug Court programs yields similar statistics. These programs have proven track records of success, and this information needs to be shared with the community. The public will see not only the economic savings by having these people receive the treatment and not being incarcerated at the jail, but also see the long-term effects as these individuals now have resources available to them so that they can become employed, self-sufficient, and do not end up back in the court system.
(Required for sheriff’s candidates) Do you feel staffing and pay is adequate for your department?
The DA’s office has lost over 40 prosecutors, I do not believe the current staffing is adequate.
If elected, what policies would you favor to deter gun violence?
The gun violence in this community has become a rampant epidemic. We have to be willing to prosecute violent offenders with the full force of the law. We need to rebuild the relationship we had with the US Attorney’s office by bringing back the Federal prosecutor program and we need to connect prosecutors directly to police detectives. The DA’s office must work hand-in-hand with law enforcement to train officers and ensure that the cases we prosecute have adequate evidence. As DA, I will bring the community partners back to the table to help rehabilitate those offenders who need the help, to get them educated and to get them back in the workforce so that they can be productive citizens. We need to bring back the End Gun Violence Program and get back in schools and educate our youth on the impacts of gun violence.
How do you see yourself creating/supporting policies related to climate change?
The DA’s office does not handle policies related to climate change
How important is transparency with your constituents after being elected into office? How will you communicate with your constituents on issues?
The first thing we have to do is to get rid of the ridiculous Non-disclosure Agreements that the current office uses to keep victims and family members from talking to the prosecutors about their cases. As an Assistant County Attorney, I deal with open records and understand that Georgia law requires government to be transparent.
One thing I learned growing up is that you can’t run from bad things. You can’t run from trouble. You can’t be afraid of, ‘Oh, this is going to hurt my political career.’ And that’s the one thing I’ve never cared about; I’m not a political person.
What’s important is to do the right thing at the right time. So, when you get a case that’s important to the community, you’re going to present it to the grand jury, you’re going to do it as quickly as possible, and you’re going to be very transparent about the procedure and the outcome. You release everything that was in that case to the public, so they can see this is what the evidence was. We work for the public, they voted us in, and they need to see that we are doing what we promised. The longer you hide or delay justice, the worse it makes it on the community, because they are the ones that have to sit and think about it. You just have to be very transparent.”
Is there one key issue driving your run for office? Why?
The kids and adults that have lost their lives to senseless gun violence in this community, and the fact that so many of these shooters were released on multiple felonies. One of these victims was a neighbor of mine, a 17-year-old kid.
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