Georgia Department of Corrections
Brian Owens, Commissioner
Director of Public Affairs
Joan Heath
Contact: Office of Public Affairs (404) 656-9772
For Immediate Release
Governor Perdue Swears in New Department of Corrections Commissioner
Commissioner Brian Owens Will Oversee Nation's Fifth Largest Prison System
Atlanta – On Tuesday, January 6th, the Board of Corrections unanimously approved the Governor’s recommendation of Brian Owens as new Corrections Commissioner. Owens was subsequently sworn in today, January 8th by Governor Perdue at the Capitol. “Brian has served the agency in a number of leadership roles over the past decade and is ready to take on this new challenge,” said Governor Perdue
Owens began his career in criminal justice as a Parole Officer, and served as Assistant Chief Parole Officer and Chief Parole Officer in Fulton County. In 1999, Owens led the Department of Corrections’ Office of Planning and Analysis before accepting the position of Executive Assistant to former Commissioner Jim Wetherington in 2002. Owens has held his most recent position serving as Assistant Commissioner under James E. Donald since 2005.
“I’m honored and humbled to hold this position,” said Commissioner Owens. “I look forward to serving in this role and continuing to focus on the mission of protecting and serving the citizens of Georgia.”
Owens is a graduate of the University of Georgia. He is married with two children and resides in Monroe County, Georgia.
The Department of Corrections is the fifth largest prison system in the United States and is responsible for supervising nearly 60,000 state prisoners and over 150,000 probationers. It is the largest law enforcement agency in the state with approximately 15,000 employees.
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