Georgia Department of Corrections
Brian Owens, Commissioner
Director of Public Affairs
Joan Heath
Contact: Office of Public Affairs (404) 656-9772
STATE OF GEORGIA
For Immediate Release
2011 Board of Corrections Officers Elected
Jim Whitehead, Sr. to Serve as Chairman
Forsyth - Jim Whitehead, Sr. was elected Chairman of the Board of Corrections by members of the Board on December 2, 2010. Whitehead was appointed to the Board by Governor Sonny Perdue in 2007. He currently represents the 10th Congressional District. The Board of Corrections has 18 members, one from each congressional district in the state and five members from the state at-large. Board Members are appointed by the Governor to staggered five year terms.
“The Board is looking forward to Mr. Whitehead serving as Chairman,” said Commissioner Brian Owens. “I know his passion for the Department’s overall success will serve us well,” added Owens.
Whitehead is owner of Jim Whitehead Tire & Auto and a former State Senator for District 24. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of 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 13,000 employees.
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