CCJ Directory

Hugh Hurwitz provides consulting services in prison management, reentry and reform, acquisition, organizational change, and business process improvements. In May 2018, the Attorney General appointed Mr. Hurwitz to serve as the Acting Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (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. Mr. Hurwitz served in this role until August 2019.

Prior to his appointment as Acting Director, Mr. Hurwitz served as the Assistant Director for Reentry Services overseeing all reentry programs, including Residential Reentry Centers, psychology services (mental health and drug treatment), education services (including vocational and recreation training programs), religious services, and special population programming (including women, transgender, veterans, and juveniles). Mr. Hurwitz also served as Assistant Director for Administration/CFO overseeing financial management, inmate trust fund, procurement, facilities and new prison construction.

Mr. Hurwitz began his career at the BOP when he was selected as a Department of Justice honors attorney after serving a one-year clerkship at the District of Columbia Court of Appeals. He later held several positions in the BOP procurement office including as the Procurement Executive. He moved to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as the Chief of Acquisitions and Grants Services, and later became the FDA’s Chief of Information Technology Shared Services. He moved to the U.S. Department of Education as the Senior Procurement Executive before being promoted to Deputy Chief Financial Officer. At that time he also served as vice-chair of the government-wide Chief Acquisition Officers Council and was selected as the Acquisition Chief of the Year by Government Executive Magazine.

Mr. Hurwitz later joined NASA’s Office of Inspector General as the Assistant Inspector General for Management. He returned to the Bureau of Prisons as the Senior Deputy Assistant Director of the Information, Policy and Public Affairs Division, where he oversaw all legislative and media relations.

Mr. Hurwitz received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Rochester, and his Juris Doctor degree cum laude from the American University, Washington College of Law. Mr. Hurwitz is an Adjunct Professor at the American University, teaching a course titled The Prison Community, and is a guest lecturer on Corrections, Leadership, and Procurement for multiple organizations.