Michael Horowitz
Inspector General, Department of Justice
Michael Even Horowitz was born in September 1962 in New York City, New York. He earned an undergraduate degree from Brandeis University and received his Juris Doctor from Harvard Law School. He clerked at the Central California U.S. District Court before entering private practice.
He spent eight years as an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, then went to Washington, DC., where he worked at the Department of Justice, holding several posts, including as chief of staff. He returned to private practice.
He was nominated by President Barack Obama to be Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Justice, assuming office in April 2012. He also served in the administrations of both Presidents Trump and Biden as chair of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee.
Horowitz is married to Alexandra Leigh Kaufmann.
In the News…
Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz issued an emergency alert saying the government must establish new rules after a federal prison inmate was left for 21 hours inside a wire cage by federal guards. The cage, no bigger than a phone booth, is what the Federal Bureau of Prisons calls “temporary secure enclosures.”
The prisoner was only allowed a bathroom break after he had been in the cage for eight hours. The inspector general blamed “lack of communication” among guards, but also said the Bureau of Prisons does not have written rules governing cage restraint. He indicated cage use has become “common practice.”
In his report, Mr. Horowitz said, “If such secure enclosures are not considered a restraint, an inmate so confined would not be protected by any safeguards in BOP regulations regarding the use of restraints, such as periodic examination by Psychology Services or medical staff.”
He said written rules were needed, and prison officials agreed.
Contact this Leader…
Did you pray for Inspector General Horowitz today? You can let him know at:
The Honorable Michael Horowitz
Inspector General
Department of Justice
950 Pennsylvania Ave NW
Washington, DC 20530
