Braxton Cotton elected Vice Chairman


ATLANTA - The State Board of Pardons and Paroles has elected a new chairman, the first change in the leadership position in three years.

James Mills was elected chairman of the Parole Board for Fiscal Year 2018 at today’s board meeting. Mills will assume the leadership role on July 1, 2017.

Mills has served as vice chairman for the past three years and succeeds Terry Barnard. Barnard was the first Board Member to serve more than two consecutive years as chairman since 2006.

Mills was appointed to the Parole Board in November of 2011.

“I want to first thank Terry Barnard for his excellent leadership these past three years. His experience, including his legislative background, has proven extremely valuable as our agency has completed necessary transitions resulting in a better prepared agency in order to meet challenges to public safety,” stated Mills.

“Chairing this Board is an awesome responsibility and I say with confidence that we are an agency of caring and committed employees who are ready to ensure the Board Members continue receiving accurate data in order to keep the public safe through scientific data driven parole decisions,” added Mills.

The Board Members elected Braxton Cotton as vice chairman for FY 2018. Cotton was appointed to the Board in November of 2013.

James W. Mills

In addition to performing the duties and responsibilities of a full time Parole Board Member, James Mills is a businessman in Gainesville. He served 19 years in the state legislature prior to being appointed to the Board. Among his many committee assignments, he served as Chairman of the Banks and Banking Committee. During his legislative service, Mr. Mills sponsored important legislation to include an amendment that placed “IN GOD WE TRUST” on the Georgia state flag. He also passed “proof of citizenship when registering to vote” legislation. Mr. Mills graduated from Mercer University in 1985 with a bachelor’s degree. In 1990, he received a master’s from the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (N.O.B.T.S.). A complete bio is available at https://pap.georgia.gov/james-w-mills.

Braxton T. Cotton

Braxton Cotton served as the director of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council and as director of the Governor’s Office for Transition, Support and Reentry, prior to his appointment to the Board. He began his career as a police officer, sheriff’s deputy and state trooper. Mr. Cotton graduated from Georgia Military College and during his time in the U.S. Army, he was awarded the Army Achievement Medal. Mr. Cotton is a Captain in the U.S. Army Reserves. Mr. Cotton has a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from Saint Leo University (Fort McPherson) and a Master of Public Safety Administration from Columbus State University. His complete bio is available at https://pap.georgia.gov/braxton-t-cotton.

Terry E. Barnard

Terry Barnard concludes his tenure as chairman June 30, 2017. Over the past three years Barnard’s leadership decisions have resulted in an enhanced parole decision making process and more access to the Board for crime victims.

Barnard’s accomplishments as chairman (July 1, 2014 – June 30, 2017) include:

  • Additional procedures implemented ensuring the Board Members continue to receive the most up-to-date and accurate information about cases prior to making decisions. (Notifications and solicitation of information from stakeholders regarding parole cases go beyond statutory requirements.)
  • Increased access for victims to the Board Members and the parole decision making process, including searching for unregistered crime victims in parole cases. 
  • Updated Parole Decision Guidelines reflecting current sentencing trends and Georgia offender data; the first revision since 2007 to the Guidelines.
  • Successful agency reorganization following the creation of the Department  of Community Supervision (DCS), which assumed responsibility for supervising offenders on parole in Georgia communities July 1, 2015.

Mr. Barnard’s complete bio is available at: https://pap.georgia.gov/board-members/terry-e-barnard.

The Parole Board consists of five Board Members who are full time state employees. They are appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the State Senate. They serve seven year staggered terms. The members determine which parole eligible inmates are granted parole and they make decisions on pardons as well as clemency requests for death row inmates.

For more information about the Georgia Parole Board, please contact the Office of Communications, Director Steve Hayes, at 404-657-9450 or [email protected]; also visit www.pap.georgia.gov.

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