In a bold and unprecedented appointment, the Trump administration has placed a former federal inmate in one of the highest positions within the Bureau of Prisons.
Joshua J. Smith, who once served time for drug trafficking, will now serve as deputy director of the agency responsible for overseeing the nation’s federal prison system.
Smith, a successful businessman and Christian nonprofit founder, was pardoned by President Donald Trump in January 2021.
The announcement of his appointment was made public in a memo Thursday from BOP Director William K. Marshall III and first reported Friday by NBC News.
“Josh brings to this role something our agency has never had before at this level,” Marshall wrote, citing Smith’s “perspective shaped by lived experience, proven innovation and national impact.”
Marshall emphasized Smith’s firsthand understanding of prison conditions, adding that it makes him “uniquely positioned to advocate for the resources and reforms front-line staff need to do their jobs safely and effectively.”
Smith’s story began in 1998 when he was sentenced to five years in federal prison in Kentucky after pleading guilty to trafficking marijuana and cocaine, according to The Knoxville News Sentinel, per The Western Journal.
While behind bars, he found mentorship and faith, which he credits with transforming his life.
Following his release, Smith returned to Knoxville, Tennessee, where he built a successful residential waterproofing business, Master Service Companies.
After selling the company, he committed $8 million to launching the Fourth Purpose Foundation in 2019—a faith-based nonprofit dedicated to helping inmates find redemption and purpose both during and after incarceration.
That same year, Smith applied for a presidential pardon.
Trump granted clemency to Smith on the final day of his presidency, marking a turning point in the former inmate’s public journey.
“What God has allowed me to experience in my life is just unbelievable,” Smith said at the time. “It’s a miracle unto itself. There’s no reason I should be here.”
He added, “Somebody just texted me the words, ‘Man, you deserve it.’ And I texted them back and said no I don’t. I don’t deserve any of the things I’ve got. I did break the law. I did things that hurt people. Drugs hurt people. But yet God in his grace and mercy has allowed me to have the things I have. This is just the cherry on top.”
Smith’s appointment marks the first time a former federal prisoner has not only been hired by the Bureau of Prisons, but also placed in a leadership role.
The move is drawing praise from those in the criminal justice reform movement, particularly conservatives who support faith-based rehabilitation and second chances.
Fourth Purpose Foundation has quickly earned national attention for promoting personal accountability, character development and a return to moral principles inside America’s prison walls.
Smith’s new role is seen by supporters as a symbol of redemption and a practical step toward meaningful reform, according to The Western Journal.
The Trump administration’s decision reflects a broader effort to bring real-world experience and fresh vision into federal institutions often criticized for inefficiency and failure to rehabilitate.
While the appointment may be unconventional, supporters argue it is precisely the kind of outside-the-box thinking needed to fix a broken system.
