{"id":2444341,"date":"2025-06-07T21:07:02","date_gmt":"2025-06-08T01:07:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-makes-history-by-tapping-former-federal-inmate-as-deputy-director-of-bureau-of-prisons\/"},"modified":"2025-06-07T21:08:07","modified_gmt":"2025-06-08T01:08:07","slug":"trump-makes-history-by-tapping-former-federal-inmate-as-deputy-director-of-bureau-of-prisons","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/trump-makes-history-by-tapping-former-federal-inmate-as-deputy-director-of-bureau-of-prisons\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump Makes History by Tapping Former Federal Inmate as Deputy Director of Bureau of Prisons"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">30<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Ftrump-makes-history-by-tapping-former-federal-inmate-as-deputy-director-of-bureau-of-prisons%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2444341&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>In a groundbreaking appointment, former <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/supreme-court-clashes-over-bid-to-execute-boston-marathon-bomber\/\" title=\"Supreme Court Clashes Over Bid To Execute Boston Marathon Bomber\">federal inmate<\/a> Joshua J. Smith has been named the Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons by the Trump governance. This is the first time a former prisoner has held such a significant position within the Bureau. Smith was pardoned by President Trump at the end of his first term, after serving a five-year sentence for drug trafficking. His experiences during incarceration led him to develop a <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >faith-based nonprofit aimed<\/a> at helping inmates rehabilitate and find productive paths after their release. Bureau Director William K. Marshall III praised Smith for his unique perspective and leadership, emphasizing his firsthand knowlege of prison dynamics and the needs of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/ghana-is-first-country-to-receive-vaccines-through-global-covax-program\/\" title=\"Ghana Is First Country To Receive Vaccines Through Global COVAX Program\">front-line staff<\/a>. Smith expressed gratitude for his pardon and the opportunities it afforded him,highlighting the transformative impact of his experiences.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>In an unprecedented move, the Trump administration appointed a former federal inmate as second in command of the federal Bureau of Prisons.<\/p>\n<p>Joshua J. Smith, whom President Donald Trump pardoned during his first presidency, will serve as <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-joe-biden-slips-and-refers-to-kamala-harris-as-president-elect-saying-quiet-part-out-loud\/\" title=\"WATCH: Joe Biden Slips and Refers to Kamala Harris as \u2018President-Elect\u2019\u2026 Saying \u2018Quiet Part\u2019 Out Loud\u2019?\">deputy director<\/a> of the agency, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/politics\/politics-news\/former-federal-inmate-pardoned-trump-tapped-bureau-prisons-deputy-dire-rcna211396\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">NBC News<\/a> reported Friday.<\/p>\n<p>Never before has a former federal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/trumps-last-minute-decision-responsible-mass-pardons-jan-6-prisoners-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">prisoner<\/a> worked as an employee for the BOP, much less in a leadership role.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Josh brings to this role something our agency has never had before at this level, a perspective shaped by lived experience, proven innovation and national impact,&rdquo; Director William K. Marshall III said in a memo Thursday.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;His firsthand understanding of our facilities &mdash; of the tension, the risk and the importance of trust &mdash; makes him uniquely positioned to advocate for the resources and reforms front-line staff need to do their jobs safely and effectively.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">We&rsquo;re thrilled to congratulate Josh Smith on becoming Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.<\/p>\n<p>Josh&rsquo;s leadership, shaped by personal experience and unwavering dedication, will help drive meaningful change.<\/p>\n<p>We look forward to supporting him! &#128079; <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/xjKbjBxxnz\">https:\/\/t.co\/xjKbjBxxnz<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/dZ40mfI9ee\">pic.twitter.com\/dZ40mfI9ee<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Correctional Leaders Assn (@CLALeadership) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/CLALeadership\/status\/1931115967691600066?\">June 6, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>In 1998, Smith began a five-year sentence in a Kentucky prison after pleading guilty to marijuana and cocaine trafficking, according to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.knoxnews.com\/story\/money\/2021\/01\/20\/trump-pardons-tennessee-millionaire-prison-reform-leader-josh-smith\/4208119001\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">The Knoxville News Sentinel<\/a> in 2021.<\/p>\n<p>It was in prison that he discovered mentors who taught him about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/op-ed-god-plan-gen-z-path-revival\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">God<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Upon his release, Smith became a successful entrepreneur in Knoxville, Tennessee, and sold his residential waterproofing business, Master Service Companies.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Joshua J. Smith is the first formerly incarcerated inmate to work for the Bureau of Prisons <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/VXfSu4XKF5\">pic.twitter.com\/VXfSu4XKF5<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; Hannah Claire Brimelow (@hannahclaireb) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hannahclaireb\/status\/1931083963667284127?\">June 6, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>In 2019, he put $8 million into launching the faith-based nonprofit <a href=\"https:\/\/fourthpurpose.org\/about\/josh-smith-founder\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Fourth Purpose<\/a>, which helps inmates transform their lives in prison and once they get out.<\/p>\n<p>2019 was also the year he applied for a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/biden-hand-signed-single-pardon-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">presidential pardon<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Trump pardoned Smith on the last day of his presidency in 2021.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;What God has allowed me to experience in my life is just unbelievable. It&rsquo;s a miracle unto itself. There&rsquo;s no reason I should be here,&rdquo; Smith said after <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/white-house-staffer-responsible-fanning-flames-trump-musk-idd-report\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Trump<\/a> pardoned him.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Somebody just texted me the words, &lsquo;Man you deserve it.&rsquo; And I texted them back and said no I don&rsquo;t. I don&rsquo;t deserve any of the things I&rsquo;ve got. I did break the law. I did things that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/mike-lindell-sues-daily-mail-after-salacious-hit-piece-on-him-with-woman-in-west-village-and-hamptoms-two-places-hes-never-been-to-video\/\" title=\"Mike Lindell Sues Daily Mail After Salacious Hit Piece on Him with Woman in West Village and Hamptoms \u2014 Two Places He\u2019s Never Been To (VIDEO)\">hurt people<\/a>. 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.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a historic decision, the Trump administration appointed Joshua J. Smith, a former federal inmate pardoned by President Donald Trump during his first term, as the deputy director of the federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), according to NBC News on Friday. This marks the first time a former federal prisoner has held a position within BOP, especially in leadership. Director William K. Marshall III praised Smith&#8217;s unique perspective shaped by personal experience and emphasized his ability to advocate for necessary resources and reforms for staff safety and effectiveness<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2444342,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Bureau-of-Prisons.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[55497,56742,56741,4919,3634],"class_list":["post-2444341","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-bureau-of-prisons","tag-deputy-director","tag-federal-inmate","tag-history","tag-trump"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Bureau-of-Prisons.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2444341","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2444341"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2444341\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2444345,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2444341\/revisions\/2444345"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2444342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2444341"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2444341"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2444341"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}