**EXHIBIT 31.1**

** **

**CERTIFICATION OF**

**EXECUTIVE CHAIRMAN**

 

I,James E. Hyman, certify that:

 

1.                 I havereviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of Cornell Companies, Inc.(the “registrant”);

 

2.                 Based on myknowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material factor omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, inlight of the circumstances under which such statements were made, notmisleading with respect to the period covered by this report;

 

3.                 Based on myknowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information includedin this report, fairly present in all material respects the financialcondition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, andfor, the periods presented in this report;

 

4.                 Theregistrant’s other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishingand maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined inExchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and wehave:

 
|   | a.     | designed such disclosure controls and  procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed  under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the  registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by  others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this  report is being prepared;                          |
|--------|--------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|   |   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|   | b.     | designed such internal control over  financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting  to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance  regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of  financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally  accepted accounting principles;                                 |
|   |   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|   | c.     | evaluated the effectiveness of the  registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report  our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and  procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such  evaluation; and                                                                                                                 |
|   |   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|   | d.     | disclosed in this report any change in the  registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during  the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal  quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is  reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control  over financial reporting. |

 

5.                 The registrant’sother certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recentevaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’sauditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (orpersons performing the equivalent functions):

 

a.           all significantdeficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internalcontrol over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adverselyaffect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and reportfinancial information; and

 

b.          anyfraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees whohave a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financialreporting.

 
| Date: March 14, 2008 | /s/ James E. Hyman                |
|---------------------------|-----------------------------------|
|                      | James E. Hyman, Chief Executive   |
|                      | Officer and Chairman of the Board |

 

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