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(Lincoln, NE) Gov. Dave Heineman today named Rosalyn Cotton of Omaha to serve as a member of the Nebraska Board of Parole. She will complete the remainder of the term vacated by Kenneth Vampola, who was appointed in February to the county court bench in the Sixth Judicial District. Cotton will start Aug. 1 and serve through September 2008.
"It is clear from my conversations with Rosalyn that she is a fair-minded person who understands the importance of public safety, and I am confident her experience will help the Nebraska Board of Parole fulfill its important mission," Gov. Heineman said.
Cotton is an adjunct instructor in criminal justice at Bellevue University, as well as an instructor at Hamilton College in Omaha and Northeast Community College in Norfolk. She previously taught at Nebraska Indian Community College in Omaha. Prior to her teaching career, she worked from 1983 to 2002 for the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services in jobs ranging from corrections corporal to senior parole officer.
She has served as a mentor for the juvenile parole system, a self-defense instructor and sexual harassment and rape prevention instructor. Cotton currently serves on the Nebraska Correction Association Board and is a member of the American Correctional Association. She is a former member of the Midwest Gang Investigators Association.
Cotton said, "This position provides an opportunity to continue working with the community and the Department of Correctional Services, and it will allow me to help individuals in this state explore opportunities for lives after incarceration."
Cotton, 47, earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from Wayne State College and a master's degree in urban studies and criminal justice from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.
The Nebraska Board of Parole is a five-member board that reviews the status of criminal offenders, determines when to grant parole and sets the conditions of parole. The board also advises the Governor with regard to parole legislation and informs the Board of Pardons about the merits of applications for remission, reprieve, pardon, or commutation.
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