From Inmate to Leader: Is the BOP Finally Ready to Change?

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.

Let that sink in. A man who once wore the khaki uniform, who stood for count, who prayed for a second chance—is now helping lead the very institution that once held him.

For many of us who’ve been through the federal system, this moment feels historic. Not just because Smith is the first formerly incarcerated person to hold such a high position in the BOP, but because his appointment may be the clearest sign yet that the Bureau is—maybe, just maybe—ready to change.

Lived Experience Can’t Be Taught

Joshua Smith doesn’t come from a traditional criminal justice background. He comes from the yard. He knows firsthand the despair, the institutional apathy, the way your identity can be reduced to a number and your humanity put on pause. But more than that, he knows the potential that exists behind the walls—if the system would only allow it to flourish.

Smith didn’t just survive prison; he used it as a classroom. Encouraged by fellow inmates—many of them white-collar professionals—he began learning about business, leadership, and purpose. When he came home, he built a $30 million company that employed other returning citizens. He lived out the promise of second chances.

Now he’s taking that same energy into the belly of the beast—the BOP’s Central Office.

A System in Desperate Need of Reform

Let’s be honest: the BOP is in crisis. Morale is down. Staffing is stretched thin. Reports of sexual abuse at women’s facilities like FCI Dublin, missing cameras, understaffing, and a chronic lack of oversight have rightfully led to public outrage. The agency has been under fire from Congress and watchdogs alike, and the revolving door of leadership hasn’t helped.

Smith steps into an institution many of us lost faith in a long time ago. But he brings something no previous deputy director ever has: credibility with both the incarcerated and the free. That kind of trust can’t be bought with credentials—it comes from lived experience, from walking the walk.

Faith, Focus, and a Forward Path

I connected deeply with Smith’s story of faith and transformation. Like him, I found hope in prison through education and service. Like him, I chose not to let incarceration define the rest of my life. And like him, I now work to help others reintegrate, rebuild, and reclaim their futures.

Smith’s nonprofit, Fourth Purpose, and his advocacy work show that he’s not a figurehead—he’s been doing the work for years. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned from working with reentry programs and incarcerated individuals, it’s that real change takes someone willing to disrupt the status quo from the inside.

Can He Succeed?

The challenges ahead are enormous. Smith will have to navigate a skeptical workforce, budget cuts, and the immense weight of a bureaucracy that has historically resisted change. He’ll need to build buy-in from BOP staff who may not understand—or even trust—his vision.

But he’s not alone. Director William Marshall III, another outsider with a reform-minded background, is also new to the top seat. Together, they could represent the beginning of a new era—one that prioritizes rehabilitation, supports staff, and focuses on building people up instead of breaking them down.

Why This Moment Matters

For those of us who’ve been locked away, Smith’s appointment sends a powerful message: Redemption is real. Lived experience matters. And yes, we belong at the table too.

I want to believe this moment marks a turning point. I want to believe that the BOP finally understands that rehabilitation doesn’t happen by accident—it happens through intention, through leadership, and through voices that have been silenced for too long being finally heard.

And if the Bureau is truly serious about reform, it must not just support Smith—it must listen to him.

Final Thoughts

The system won’t fix itself. But maybe—just maybe—the system has finally let in someone who knows how to change it from within.

Josh Smith’s appointment won’t solve every problem overnight. But it’s a start. And for the 150,000 people still behind bars, many of whom are hungry for opportunity and hope, that start could make all the difference.

Let’s give this moment the attention—and the support—it deserves.