Deputy Director Joshua J. Smith Resigns After Turbulent Year of Prison Reforms

Joshua J. Smith stepped down as deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons after a little more than a year, having been the first former federal prisoner to hold the agency’s second-highest post. Appointed in June 2025, he and Director William K. Marshall III pushed the BOP toward rapid policy modernization, revising 37 outdated program statements in 90 days and altering the warden selection process to include external expertise.

Their agenda also included terminating the master collective bargaining agreement with the Council of Prison Locals, deploying National Resource Teams to assess staffing and infrastructure, and leveraging the One Big Beautiful Bill Act’s new funding to tackle a $4 billion maintenance backlog. The administration announced the closure or conversion of multiple facilities, such as Beaumont FCI Low and Big Spring FCI, citing deteriorating conditions and staffing shortages.

In a personal Facebook farewell, Smith highlighted his journey from a 21-year-old inmate to a pardoned citizen returning to lead the very system that once confined him, thanking President Donald Trump and Attorney General Todd Blanche. The bureau’s director affirmed that the agency remains focused on safety, security, and its mission despite the leadership change.