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Michael J. Gaines is Vice President and Counsel at James Lee Witt Associates (JLWA). Mr. Gaines' career in public safety spans 30 years of service in various positions at the state and federal level. Before joining JLWA in May 2003, he completed eight and one-half years as a Presidentially appointed U.S. Parole Commissioner and as President Bill Clinton's Chairman of the Commission. From 1997-2001, Mr. Gaines also served as a Commissioner on the U.S. Sentencing Commission, and as a member of the board of the National Institute of Corrections in the U.S. Department of Justice. Mr. Gaines' career began with service on the Governor's Security details of Arkansas Governors Dale Bumpers and David Pryor. For five years he was an attorney with the Arkansas Department of Correction and the Arkansas Parole Board, before joining Governor Bill Clinton's staff in 1983. Mr. Gaines was the Governor's Senior Advisor on Public Safety and served as his extradition counsel and liaison to numerous public safety agencies including the Arkansas State Police, the Arkansas Department of Correction, the Board of Pardons and Paroles, the Arkansas Highway Safety Program and the Arkansas Law Enforcement Training Academy. He assisted with policy development and drafting of legislation, and worked closely with committees and individual members of the Arkansas General Assembly in advancing the Governor's legislative initiatives. He also helped the Governor in building partnerships with county and local officials through the Arkansas Prosecuting Attorneys Association and the Arkansas Sheriffs' Association, and with non-governmental groups such as Mothers Against Drunk Driving and the Parents of Murdered Children. Beginning in 1986, as Executive Director of the Supreme Court Committee on Professional Conduct, Mr. Gaines oversaw the investigation of allegations of ethics violations by attorneys licensed in Arkansas. He also served as the part-time Chairman of the Arkansas Parole Board. In 1989, he was appointed as the first full-time Chairman of the Board and as a member of the Board of Correction where he served until 1994. | 