From Prison to Policy: Josh Smith’s Journey Proves Rehabilitation is Possible — and Powerful

At A Better Tomorrow, we believe in second chances. We believe that the worst day in someone’s life should never define the rest of it. And today, we’re celebrating a story that proves just how powerful redemption can be.

Joshua Smith, once incarcerated in a federal prison, has just been appointed Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP). For the first time in the Bureau’s history, someone who has lived on the inside will now help lead from the top.

This is more than a headline. This is hope in action.

Turning a Fall Into Fuel

Josh Smith’s journey didn’t begin with success. It began with struggle. Removed from his home at just 11 years old due to abuse, Smith was convicted of 10 felonies by the time he was 16. By age 21, he was entering federal prison as a high school dropout with no direction, no plan, and no belief that life could be different.

But something shifted behind those prison walls. Surrounded by fellow incarcerated people—some of whom had white-collar backgrounds—Smith was introduced to business, mentorship, and a belief in what could be. He credits those relationships, along with his faith, as the beginning of his transformation.

“Prison time for me shifted into an educational time,” Smith said in a video shared by his nonprofit, Fourth Purpose. That mindset would become the foundation for everything he built afterward.

Rebuilding With Purpose

After serving five years, Smith came home not just determined to stay free, but to make a difference. He started a residential services company that grew into a $30 million enterprise, employing more than 180 people—many of whom were formerly incarcerated themselves.

He didn’t stop at personal success. Smith launched Fourth Purpose, a nonprofit dedicated to making prison a place of true rehabilitation. His mission? To shift the focus of incarceration from punishment to transformation.

Through his nonprofit, Smith has funded advocacy, supported reentry efforts, produced educational documentaries, and worked with correctional leaders who, like him, are committed to creating real change from within the system.

A New Chapter for the BOP

Now, Smith brings that same energy and lived experience to one of the most important leadership roles in the country’s corrections system. As Deputy Director of the BOP, he will help shape policy for more than 150,000 incarcerated individuals and thousands of correctional staff.

It won’t be easy. The BOP faces serious challenges: low morale, staffing shortages, scrutiny from Congress, and a long history of resistance to reform. But if anyone understands both the needs of those behind the walls and the potential for change, it’s Josh Smith.

His very presence in this role sends a powerful message: rehabilitation works. People can change. And when they’re supported, they don’t just return to society—they come back and lead it.

Why This Matters to Us

At A Better Tomorrow, we work every day with people who are just like Josh Smith—individuals who’ve faced the darkest moments of their lives and are now working toward brighter futures. We see what’s possible when someone is given the opportunity, the tools, and the belief that they are more than their past.

Josh Smith’s appointment isn’t just symbolic. It’s a real example of what happens when rehabilitation is taken seriously, when second chances are honored, and when the system begins to reflect the people it serves.

This is what A Better Tomorrow looks like.

Final Thoughts

Josh Smith’s story reminds us that our past does not define us—it prepares us. He took his lowest point and turned it into his life’s purpose. That’s not just rehabilitation. That’s transformation.

We hope his story inspires you the way it’s inspired us. And we hope it reminds policymakers, community leaders, and every person walking out of prison doors that change is not only possible—it’s powerful.

At A Better Tomorrow, we’re here to walk that journey with you.