Elisa Mason
Elisa Mason is the General Counsel /Assistant Director of the Office of General Counsel. Ms. Mason began her career with the Federal Bureau of Prisons in 2005 as an Attorney in the Legislative and Correctional Issues Branch within the Office of General Counsel (OGC) at Central Office (DC). She continued to serve in roles of increasing responsibility, including Staff Attorney at MCC New York (NY) and Assistant General Counsel in the Employment Law Branch (OGC). She later returned to prisoner litigation as Senior Counsel in the Litigation Branch (OGC). In November 2019, Ms. Mason was appointed Deputy Assistant Director/General Counsel for the Office of General Counsel, and was subsequently promoted to Senior Deputy. In December 2025, she was selected to serve as General Counsel/Assistant Director for the Office of General Counsel.
As the General Counsel/Assistant Director, Ms. Mason provides oversight of all legal matters affecting the agency. She directs a broad range of legal practices, including inmate litigation, employment law, legislative and correctional issues, ethics, commercial law, real estate and environmental matters, and the Freedom of Information Act. She also leads attorney hiring and recruitment for the agency and manages a team of approximately 250 attorneys, paralegals, and support staff. In addition, Ms. Mason advises executive leadership on legal affairs and helps the agency navigate legal and operational risks to mitigate potential litigation.
Prior to joining the Bureau, Ms. Mason served with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. She earned her undergraduate degree from the University of North Texas and later received her Juris Doctor from New York Law School. Ms. Mason has been a member of the Senior Executive Service since June 2023.