News & Updates

Life has a way of labeling us. Sometimes it’s what’s written on paper—a criminal record, a past mistake, or a chapter of our story we’d rather not be defined by. Other times it’s the judgments of people around us—family, friends, or even those who claim to walk closely with God. They see our failures and forget our humanity. They forget that every one of us stumbles.

This past Sunday, I sat in a church pew that felt unfamiliar—but in the best way. The message was centered on Psalm 41, and if I’m being honest, I didn’t expect it to hit me the way it did. But it did. Deeply. Over the past few months, I’ve been walking through what I can only describe as a season of transition, vulnerability, and redefinition. I stepped away from my old job—something that wasn’t easy but felt necessary.

There’s a saying I heard while incarcerated: “No one understands the system better than those who’ve lived it.” That saying kept echoing in my mind as I read the news that Joshua Smith—a man who once served time in a federal prison—is now the Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

When it comes to rehabilitation within the criminal justice system, offering real, impactful job training programs is essential. At the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ (BOP) Lompoc camp, this commitment to rehabilitation is exemplified through a robust job training and certification program that partners with Sacramento State University and the State of California.