By BILL RANKIN
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ATLANTA — Gov. Sonny Perdue on Monday appointed Corrections Commissioner James E. Donald to the State Board of Pardons and Paroles.
As head of corrections, Donald, 59, of Decatur oversaw the fifth-largest prison system in the country, with an annual budget of $1.2 billion and 200,000 felons in prison or on probation. Before taking that job in December 2003, Donald served as a major general of the U.S. Army Forces Command.
Donald’s term on the Board of Pardons and Paroles expires Dec. 31, 2015.
Donald succeeds Garfield Hammonds Jr., whose term expired Dec. 31. Hammonds once headed the Drug Enforcement Administration’s office in Atlanta.
Among its duties, the five-member parole board can release an inmate from confinement after a determination is made that he or she has served enough time.
“Commissioner Donald’s experience in the state’s prison system makes him an excellent addition to the Board of Pardons and Paroles,” Perdue said in a statement. “He has demonstrated strong leadership skills during his tenure at DOC.”
Perdue said he’ll recommend assistant Corrections Commissioner Brian Owens be Donald’s replacement.
Copyright 2009 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution