The Honorable Barbara S. Jones (Ret.) has been the Independent Review Officer since December 2016 and was reappointed by the IBT in March 2021. Judge Jones served as a United States District Court Judge in the Southern District of New York for 17 years prior to entering private practice. Before her appointment to the federal bench, Judge Jones served both as an Assistant United States Attorney in the Southern District of New York, and as the Chief Assistant to Robert M. Morgenthau in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office.
As a federal prosecutor, Judge Jones investigated and prosecuted a number of organized crime cases involving a broad array of criminal conduct, including labor racketeering, narcotics distribution, tax evasion and money laundering. Judge Jones was appointed by the Department of Justice as Chief of its Organized Crime Strike Force in the Southern District of New York. This team encompassed several Assistant U.S. Attorneys and special investigators working in conjunction with representatives from multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New York City Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, the Secret Service, the U.S. Customs Service, and the U.S. Postal Service. In this role, she initiated, assigned, and supervised all of the investigations in the Strike Force and worked with law enforcement agencies to evaluate targets and strategies. She also coordinated intelligence‐sharing among law enforcement partners and prosecutors, and sourced and deployed the necessary resources to carry out these complex investigations.
Following her tenure as a federal prosecutor, Judge Jones joined the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office as Chief Assistant to the District Attorney. She oversaw the Homicide Investigation Unit, providing investigatory oversight and counsel on legal issues. She also advised the District Attorney on high profile cases, provided direct oversight of community affairs matters, and managed sensitive personnel and resource issues.