Hugh J. Hurwitz is the former Acting Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) and currently President or HJH Advisors. Founded on his over 30 years of professional experience, Mr. Hurwitz is a renowned national expert in criminal justice reform, prison management and reentry.

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In May 2018, the Attorney General appointed Mr. Hurwitz to serve as the Acting Director of the BOP. In this role he was responsible for leading the operation of one of the largest correctional systems in the world, including oversight of 122 prison facilities, 12 contract facilities, and over 200 residential reentry centers, with oversight and management of approximately 36,000 staff and approximately 177,000 inmates. Prior to that role, Mr. Hurwitz served in BOP’s Office of General Counsel, Assistant Chief for Construction Contracting, Chief of National Contracts and Policy, Chief of the Acquisitions Branch and Procurement Executive, Senior Deputy Assistant Director of the Information, Policy and Public Affairs Division -- where he oversaw all legislative and media relations, and Assistant Director for the Reentry Services Division -- where he oversaw all BOP’s reentry programs including Residential Reentry Centers, reentry programing, education services and religious services.

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In that role, Mr. Hurwitz was also responsible for implementing the First Step Act, the most significant criminal justice reform in decades. During that time, he worked hand-in-hand with Tzedek Association, to ensure the law was implemented properly.

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Mr. Hurwitz is an Adjunct Professor at the American University, a frequent guest lecturer and author on Corrections, Leadership, and Procurement, and is a member of the Council on Criminal Justice.

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Ja’Ron Smith is a national policy expert experienced in criminal justice reform, advocacy, legislating, and policy strategy and negotiation. Ja'Ron was a senior advisor to President Trump, and was instrumental in the passage of the monumental First Step Act.

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During that time as Deputy Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy and Deputy Director of the White House Office of American Innovation, Ja'Ron worked very closely with the Tzedek Association in passing the First Step Act, and subsequently in working with Tzedek and the Department of Justice in properly implementing the law.

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Ja’Ron recently served as the Executive Director of the Center for Advancing Opportunity at Thurgood Marshall College Fund, which aims to move people living in fragile communities from promise to prosperity.

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Before the President began his term in office, Ja'Ron also served in both Houses of Congress, including for Senator Tim Scott and then Congressman Mike Pence.

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Ja’Ron is currently a Senior Fellow with Right on Crime and the Founder of Public Safety Solutions for America.

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Matthew McNally is the Executive Vice President & Founder of Intersection Advocacy. Mr. McNally most recently served as Chief of Staff for former Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), where he ran the Congressman’s caucus election to become DCCC chairman, continuing to serve as his chief during his tenure as chair.‍

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Prior to his work in the House, Mr. McNally was the Director of Federal Affairs for the City of New York, representing the City in Congress and in front of the administration. In that role, he successfully developed public affairs and lobbying campaigns to protect and increase the almost $9 billion dollars New York City receives directly from the federal government. Matt also spent nearly a decade working on Senate races and in the United States Senate. He spent three cycles at the DSCC, before joining the Senate Democratic War Room and the DPCC, chaired by Senator Schumer. In 2006 he worked on the McCaskill Senate campaign, and in 2012 he was Deputy Campaign Manager for Tammy’ Baldwin’s historic first Senate race.‍

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Mr. McNally worked closely with Tzedek Association during his tenure as Chairman Maloney's chief of staff on a number of criminal justice issues, including the First Step Act and other criminal justice issues. Matt is currently a political consultant for Tzedek as well as Americans for IVF, advocating for further criminal justice reforms and legislation that would expand insurance coverage for fertility treatment.

Rebecca Taxman serves as Tzedek Association’s New York State & New York City Policy and Advocate Director.

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Rebecca is a Journalism and Political Science graduate from Indiana University. Early in her career she was hired by Rabinowitz/Dorf Communication, a public relations firm focusing on Jewish non-for-profit organizations. In 2009 Ms. Taxman came to New York and completed a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the Milano New School for Public Engagement.  

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While completing her Master’s degree, Rebecca was hired as a Chess Instructor at Chess NYC, a start-up company focusing on Chess education in NYC schools. As the company evolved, Rebecca’s focus was to use chess as a tool to improve the lives of troubled populations by providing Chess Workshops to jailed detainees, youthful offenders and other incarcerated individuals in NYC and NYS. She fostered a partnership with Friends of the Island Academy, which allowed Chess NYC to enter the world of youthful detainees on Rikers Island. By providing Chess Workshops, the detainees were given the chance to refocus their energy to learn a new skill, expand on an existing skill and be engaged in productive socialization.  

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Under Ms. Taxman’s leadership, Chess NYC used its successes at Rikers Island to secure partnerships with the Office of Children and Family Service (OCFS); NYC Department of Corrections (DOCS); NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision (DOCCS); and Queensboro Correctional.

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In 2017, Rebecca joined Tzedek Association. To date she has made substantial progress in aiding the goals of the organization as follows:

• Spearheading legislation to provide religious rights in the Shock Incarceration Program in DOCCS, and to provide needed access to Halal, Kosher and vegetarian food in the NYS facilities;
• Updating the Kosher menu in DOCCS to provide more satisfying and protein to rich meals;
• Providing essential programming to Jewish incarcerated individuals, such as services and other essential holiday programing;
• Implementing Tzedek’s partnership with the NY Board of Rabbis to re-write the Jewish Holiday Calendar in NY State to fit religious needs of all incarcerated individuals;
• Working on NYS legislation targeted to reduce sentences through participation in rehabilitative programs;
• Working on NYS legislation targeted to reduce sentences for senior citizens;
• Working on NYS legislation to provide air conditioning systems in State prisons.

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