2024-2025 Board of Directors

Robert RiccardellaRobert Riccardella, Past President

Bob Riccardella is a Member of the New Jersey State Parole Board in his second term, having been nominated by both Governors Christie and Corzine.  Bob currently serves as the Chairman of the Parole Board’s Legislative Committee.  Bob also served on Governor Christie’s Task Force for Recidivism Reduction.  He previously held the position of Chief of Staff to the Bergen County Executive.  His responsibilities included the supervision of 3,000 employees and oversight for a budget of $400,000,000, as well as the supervision of the day to day operations of the different divisions of county government in one of the most diverse and densely populated counties in America.  Bob has also served as Director of the Northern Division for the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, Director of Emergency Medical Services for Bergen County, and as Police Commissioner for the Borough of Wood-Ridge for 12 years. 


Jim HemmJames A. Hemm, Ed.M. President Emeritus

James A. Hemm has worked for the New Jersey Association on Correction since June of 1968. The Association provides services to people impacted by the criminal justice system which includes offenders, people living with HIV/AIDS and victims of Domestic Violence. Jim has held several positions at the Association and became Executive Director in January 1984. He retired in October 2011. Jim holds both a BA and EdM from Rutgers University.

Jim has been involved with several professional organization having served as a Regional Vice President and President, 1985-87, of the International Halfway House Association, a founding member of the Coalition of Community Correction Providers New Jersey, President and past Treasurer of the New Jersey Chapter of the American Correctional Association, and Treasurer of the New Jersey Community Action Association. In addition he serves on the Board of Hyacinth Foundation and Volunteers of American Delaware Valley.

Jim is a 1995 fellow of Leadership New Jersey and has been recognized for his long term work in Community Corrections by Volunteers of America, 1996 Maud Booth Award, and the International Community Corrections Association, 2006 Margaret Mead Award. In addition in 2008 he was recognized by Offender Aid Restoration, Inc-Newark with a life time achievement award and by the Center for Non-Profits with the Judith Trachtenberg Award.



Eugene Caldwell

Eugene J. Caldwell II, President

Eugene J. Caldwell II was appointed Warden of the Gloucester County Department of Corrections on July 1, 2013.  He is a career public servant in the Gloucester County Department of Corrections.  He is responsible for the oversight and management of the Gloucester County Department of Corrections, which employs more than 65 staff and confines over 370 inmates under the county’s jurisdiction in six facilities throughout the State. 

Warden Caldwell began his career as a Correctional Officer in 1988 with the Gloucester County Sheriff’s Department.  The correctional facility transitioned to the Board of Chosen Freeholders’ control in 2003, and is now known as the Gloucester County Department of Corrections.  He was subsequently selected for positions of increasing responsibility including Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Deputy Warden.  In 2004, he formed the Gloucester County Corrections Sergeants Association where he served as President, and was instrumental in petitioning and earning the right to organize through the New Jersey Public Employee Relations Commission. 

Warden Caldwell has been a member of the New Jersey County Jail Wardens Association since 2010, served as Treasurer, Vice President, and currently serves as President.  He is a member of the Gloucester County Human Relations Commission.  Past memberships include the United States Deputy Wardens Association and Fraternal Order of Police where he was a member and served as President for two different lodges. 

Warden Caldwell is a lifelong resident of Franklinville, New Jersey. 


Matthew Leith, First Vice-President

Warden Matthew S. Leith, C.P.M., started his career at the Burlington County Department of Corrections in 2000 after graduating from the Camden County Correctional Academy. During the past 20 years, his effective leadership skills have helped him advance through the ranks with promotions to sergeant, lieutenant, and captain. During this time, he obtained numerous certifications including completing the National Jail Leadership Command Academy and Certified Public Manager from the Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration Certified Public Managers Course. Leith became the Warden of Burlington County Correctional Facility in June of 2018. Warden Leith is also a member of the New Jersey County Jail Warden’s Association, American Jail Association, American Corrections Association, Internal Affairs Association, and assembled the Board of Directors New Jersey Correctional Leadership Series. In the past year, Warden Leith has been instrumental in obtaining grant funding and implementing the Medication Assisted Treatment for inmates battling drug addiction at Burlington County Detention Center. He is also currently in the process of obtaining Certified Correctional Health Professional certification.


Joe Rizzo, Second Vice-President

Joe Rizzo is currently the full time Criminal Justice Coordinator and Instructor at Rowan College at Burlington County, teaching classes in Corrections, Community Corrections, Introduction to Criminal Justice, and Theories of Crime.  He is a certified American Correctional Association auditor. Previous to this, he worked in Community Corrections with the Kintock Group and Urban Renewal Corp. Mr. Rizzo is retired from the New Jersey Department of Corrections having achieved the title of Administrator-Prison Complex.

Mr. Rizzo has served as the President of the New Jersey Association of Criminal Justice Educators and is an expert in the field of Corrections. He has spent over 35 years working, consulting and teaching in the public and private sector.


 Sherry SandlerSherry A. Sandler, Corresponding Secretary

Sherry Sandler currently serves as the Community Outreach and Training Coordinator for the Community Programs Division of the New Jersey State Parole Board.  She began her career with the New Jersey State Parole Board in 1998, and prior to her current assignment, she was a Manager in the Community Programs Division.  She previously served as the Program Placement Coordinator for the Community Programs Division, oversaw administrative operations and staff in the Revocation Unit, and assisted in processing parole release hearings in the Division of Release.  In 2012, she served on the Governor’s Task Force for Recidivism Reduction. Ms. Sandler joined the New Jersey Chapter of the American Correctional Association in 1999, and has served on the Executive Board since 2006.  Ms. Sandler is a Motivational Interviewing Trainer, an Offender Workforce Development Specialist and a former Girl Scout Leader.  She attended Stockton University, and is the recipient of the 2015 MASCA Sal Russoniello Service Award, the 2014 State Parole Board Outstanding Performance Award, and the 2004 State Parole Board Chairman’s Award for Supervisory Excellence.



Melissa NewbornMellissa Newborn, MA, LPC, ACS, LCADC, CCS, Recording Secretary

Melissa Newborn is employed by Rutgers University and works as a Mental Health Clinician with the CSL/PSL Sex Offender Management program.  In addition, she maintains her private counseling practice on a part-time basis.  Prior to her position with Rutgers, she held various positions, including Clinical Director, at the Albert M. “Bo” Robinson Assessment and Treatment Center since 2002, where she oversaw the NJ Department of Corrections Assessment and Treatment programs, as well as the NJ State Parole STEPS and RESAP programs.

Mrs. Newborn obtained her License as a Professional Counselor (LPC) in 2006 and her License as a Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LCADC) in 2014. In addition, she is an Approved Clinical Supervisor (ACS). Mrs. Newborn is also an experienced trainer, provides supervision to new clinicians seeking licensure, and she is certified by Multi-Health Systems to provide training to users of the LSI-R and LS/CMI instruments. Furthermore, Ms. Newborn is a Senior Adjunct Professor at Rowan College of Burlington County, teaching in both the Criminal Justice and the Psychology and Human Services degree programs. 


 Donald WeinbaumDonald Weinbaum, MBA, LCADC, CCJP, Treasurer

Donald Weinbaum has been involved with community corrections and criminal justice programs for more than 20 years and with health and behavioral health services for more than 35 years. He served as Executive Director of The Council on Compulsive Gambling of NJ, Inc. from 2008 to 2015, in which role he oversaw the statewide prevention, advocacy, and treatment network for persons with gambling problems, including those involved with the correctional system.  Currently, Mr. Weinbaum serves as a consultant to community corrections, behavioral health, housing, and non-profit agencies.

Mr. Weinbaum retired from NJ State government in 2008, following a 27 year career. He served as Chief of Fiscal and Administrative Services for the NJ State Parole Board from 2005-2008 and held a number of progressive leadership positions within the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS), Division of Addiction Services, starting in 1980. In the mid 1990's, he served as Acting Director of Treatment & Rehabilitation and then helped establish and became Coordinator of the Office of Criminal Justice and Block Grant Planning. In this position, he had oversight responsibility for DHSS residential and reentry initiatives for juvenile offenders, adult inmates and parolees, court-referred individuals, and other specialized populations. He also played a lead role in establishing the statewide Drug Court treatment network, working closely with the Judiciary and Department of Law & Public Safety.

Mr. Weinbaum received his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Cornell University and an MBA in Health Care Administration from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. He is a Licensed Clinical Alcohol and Drug Counselor and is certified as a Criminal Justice Counselor.  He has served as a Board member and Treasurer for NJACA since 2009.


Ebony Adkins

Ebony Adkins was born and resided in Newark all of her life.  She obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology with a minor in Counseling from Montclair State University. Additionally, she earned a Certification in Labor Relations from Cornell University School of Industrial Relations in 2016. 

Ebony began working for the New Jersey Department of Corrections, when she was hired as a Social Worker in 2003. In this position, Ebony developed plans of action based on the individual needs of inmates hoping to overcome mental health and other emotional issues, such as anger, substance abuse. Additionally, she assisted them in developing adaptive life skills. Ebony received a promotion to the position of Classification Officer 2, where she was responsible for evaluating new inmates entering the prison system so as to establish their most suitable level of incarceration. After only four years of hard work and dedication, Ebony was promoted to the position she currently occupies, Assistant Supervisor of Classification.

In addition to her role as Assistant Supervisor of Classification, Ebony has served as President for the Northern State Prison Local Branch for Communication Workers of America (CWA-1040) for more than three (3) years. 


Dr. Kim Bost

Dr. Kim Bost is a seasoned mental health professional with a dynamic personality who has worked in the mental health field since 1996. She began her work in corrections as a student trainee at Cook County Jail in Chicago and was invited to remain as a staff person after her training year. Her clinical work in corrections includes employment at various sites, affording her the opportunity to provide individual and group therapy, sex offender treatment with juveniles and adults, and evaluation and treatment of adults found Incompetent to Proceed and Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity. Dr. Bost also provides training to law enforcement officers in working with the mentally ill while also addressing their own personal mental health to avoid the crisis of suicide, which is an increasing threat within this population.

In addition to her work with correctional populations, Dr. Bost has worked in outpatient settings providing individual, group, and family therapy to at-risk youth and their families. She has worked in liaison with juvenile judges and parole officers towards investigating and reducing the rate of incarceration for youth of color and serves as Clinical Director for ARCH Service Agency, LLC, a service agency that provides professional development, project management, event planning, programming, evaluation, and consultation.

Not wanting to limit herself to clinical practice, Dr. Bost serves as an Adjunct Professor at Berkely College and Middlesex County College providing instruction in Liberal Arts with a focus on Psychology and Sociology.


Anthony GangiAnthony Gangi

Anthony Gangi began his career with the New Jersey Department of Corrections in 2003 as a correction officer, and rose through the ranks to become the Assistant Superintendent of Northern State Prison.  His current responsibilities include overseeing the day to day operations; facilitating communication among multiple departments; serving as Chairperson on various committees including classification, force medication, etc.; and serving as hearing officer to staff disciplinary hearings.

Mr. Gangi is also a columnist for CorrectionsOne, and the host of a radio podcast called Tier Talk, the only show dedicated to Corrections. He has made television appearances on several networks promoting the field of corrections and weighing in on correctional news topics.

Mr. Gangi received a BA in Psychology from Thomas Edison State College, and has had additional training in Gang Recognition, Inmate Manipulation Tactics, Identifying Deceptive Behavior (Interview and Interrogation/Body Language), and CISM (Critical Incident Stress Management).


Cara Kurtz

Cara Kurtz currently serves as the Program Director of the Intensive Supervision Program (ISP) within the New Jersey Judiciary’s Office of Probation Services. She is a licensed attorney in the State of New Jersey and has worked as both an attorney and court executive in various areas of the criminal justice system. Upon graduation from law school, Cara clerked for the Honorable Marianne K. Bielamowicz, J.S.C. in the New Jersey Superior Court Criminal Division. Thereafter, she served as an Assistant Prosecutor in Mercer County, NJ and an Assistant Deputy Public Defender in Middlesex County, NJ. She went on to practice law in the private sector for a period of time before returning to the Judiciary as a supervisor in the Family and Probation Divisions. In 2013, she was promoted to Vicinage Assistant Chief Probation Officer in Mercer County, NJ where she remained until she joined the AOC Criminal Practice Division as Assistant Chief of the Pretrial Services Unit in January 2016 and was promoted to Chief of that unit in June 2017. In those positions, Cara led the state in the creation and implementation of Criminal Justice Reform. Thereafter, in January 2018, Cara was promoted to her position as ISP Program Director and has reformed the program to ensure that ISP participants are receiving the programming and services necessary to reintegrate into the community thus best assuring public safety.

Dennis H. Sandrock, PhD

Dr. Sandrock is a licensed clinical psychologist who has worked full time in correctional settings since 1996. He has been a member of the Board since 2017. He has provided direct clinical care and supervision in a variety of jails and prisons, and has worked full time with CFG Health Systems since 2000.  He has managed and supervised inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment in a variety of correctional settings and has experience in working and operating under a consent decree. 

Dr. Sandrock has specific experience in treating mentally ill offenders in many settings including restrictive housing; and he has performed risk assessments on inmates to predict the risk of future violence and sexual re-offense. He has particular experience in managing suicide prevention in a jail setting.  He is a certified police trainer under the NJ Police Training Commission and has also performed numerous pre-employment psychological assessments for law enforcement recruits (corrections officers, sheriffs officers, police officers), as well as providing training to law enforcement staff in suicide prevention and the management of mentally ill offenders.  He also has considerable experience in performing fitness for duty evaluations on law enforcement personnel.  He has also received specialized training in Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD) and is a member of CFG's CISD Response Team.


Luis Soto

Major Luis Soto is a retired 25-year veteran of the New Jersey Department of Corrections who devoted his career to assisting others by imparting his vast knowledge of the Criminal Justice System. He received his Associate in Arts degree in Criminal Justice from Union County College in 2002. He continued his educational career and attained his Master’s in Public Administration from Fairleigh Dickinson University in 2015. During his tenure at the NJDOC he held the position of Assistant Director of the Correctional Staff Training Academy located in Sea Girt, NJ. Mr. Soto completed his military service as a member of the 3rd/112th Field Artillery Battalion in Morristown, New Jersey. He is an Adjunct Professor in the Criminal Justice Department for Rutgers University teaching courses such as Intro to Criminal Justice and Prison and Prisoners since the Fall of 2016. Currently he is the Supervisor of Operations for GEO Reentry Services in Trenton, NJ who caters to NJDOC inmates and New Jersey State Parolees who are in the process of reintegration into society.


Karen Taylor

Karen N. Taylor has served as Warden and Jail Administrator for the Camden County Department of Corrections Since October 2016. Warden Taylor leads the third largest county jail in New Jersey with more than 300 sworn personnel. She possesses in-depth, hands-on institutional skills developed at entry-level, supervisory, administrative and executive level positions from minimum to maximum security.

Warden Taylor is a 22-year law enforcement veteran, currently overseeing the county jail and numerous alternatives to incarceration programs within Camden County. Warden Taylor has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice, from Walden University and a Master of Arts Degree in Human Resource Training from Seton Hall University.

Warden Taylor implemented in New Jersey, the first Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) Program in a jail setting that incorporates all forms of MAT making it one of the few programs nationwide offering all forms of MAT to the incarcerated population. Under her leadership, Camden County was selected by the Arnold Foundation for the Jail Based Engagement and Community Reintegration Intervention Grant to work with its reentrants by developing partnerships with the community designed to reduce recidivism. Awarded the Department of Justice Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Site Based Program to link high-frequency utilizers with evidence-based support services and implement wraparound services. Warden Taylor and her team were recently selected by the Bureau of Justice Assistance and Arnold Ventures to participate in the Planning Initiative to Build Bridges Between Jail and Community- Based Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder held in Washington, D.C. Warden Taylor is a member of the Camden County Addiction Awareness Task Force.

Warden Taylor is focused on improving the law enforcement response to the opioid crisis, substance use disorder, and mental health by advocating for and encouraging innovative criminal justice evidence-based procedures and policies within jails and the community.


Charles Thomas

Charles Thomas graduated from Rutgers University’s School of Social Work with a BA Degree in 2003.  He graduated from Rutgers Graduate School of Social Work with a Master Degree in Social Work in 2004.  Mr. Thomas attended the Albert Ellis Institute in 2006 where he earned the Primary and Advanced Certificates in REBT Counseling Techniques.  He is currently a Licensed Social Worker in the State of New Jersey, and is employed with Volunteers of America Delaware Valley as the Vice President of Re-Entry Services.  Mr. Thomas has worked with Volunteers of America Delaware Valley Behavioral Health & Re-Entry Services for the past 20-years in the capacities of Case Manager, Treatment Coordinator, Treatment Director, and the Program Director of the Fletcher House.  He has volunteered with Camden County Literacy Volunteers of America, and was awarded Tutor of the Year in Camden County in 2003.  Mr. Thomas has worked with Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey as a Field Liaison & Off-Site Field Supervisor from 08/2015 to 07/2020, and has worked with Center for Family Services “Cure 4 Camden”, Gun Violence Prevention Program as the Hospital Responder/Violence Interrupter from 7/2014 to 10/2017 in the City of Camden, NJ. 


Helena TomeHelena Tomé

Helena Tomé currently serves as the Director, Reentry Services for the New Jersey Association on Correction, where she has been employed since 1999 in various capacities. Ms. Tomé is the primary program evaluator and contract compliance monitor for the agency ensuring compliance with all American Correctional Association, Commission for Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities and Prison Rape Elimination Act standards. She has several years of experience writing, planning and recommending policies, procedures and training which further the objectives of the agency and mission of helping people with a past build a future.

Ms. Tomé has been a Board of Trustees member for the Middle Atlantic States Correctional Association (MASCA) since 2009, was the MASCA conference chairperson in 2010 and 2015 and currently holds the position of Secretary on the Board. She has been a member of the American Correctional Association (ACA) since 2005 and is a former ACA auditor. Additionally, she is the Board Treasurer for the Re-Entry Coalition of NJ; a certified Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Advocate in Burlington and Camden Counties and a graduate of the Governing Institute of New Jersey’s winter leadership class in 2006. Ms. Tomé is a graduate of Rutgers University, possessing a Bachelor of Science degree in Administration of Justice and is a Certified Public Manager.


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