Politics
Josh Smith, pardoned former inmate and top Bureau of Prisons official, steps down
The agency's deputy director departed after a year marked by executive staff overhauls, union criticism, and scrutiny over contracts.
The short version
- Josh Smith, who was pardoned by President Donald Trump for drug offenses before being named deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons in 2025, has resigned after serving a year-long tenure.
- During his time in leadership, Smith replaced roughly 70% of the agency's executive staff, but faced severe criticism from union officials who accused him of prioritizing inmates over correctional officers.
- Questions emerged during his tenure regarding procurement contracts and the prison access granted to fellow Trump pardon recipient Todd Chrisley, though Smith denied direct involvement in either matter.
- Smith plans to return to his private nonprofit and media company; the Bureau of Prisons confirmed his departure without offering additional details.
Key facts
- Josh Smith announced his departure as deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons on Monday, which agency director William Marshall confirmed to staff on Tuesday.[CBS News]
- Smith served five years in federal prison following a 1998 guilty plea for drug conspiracy, before receiving a presidential pardon from Donald Trump in 2021 and being appointed as the agency's No. 2 official in 2025.[CBS News]
- During his year in office, Smith oversaw the replacement of approximately 70% of executive staff, including top wardens.[CBS News]
- Union officials and former staff accused Smith of undermining officers, citing incidents such as unannounced facility visits and permitted tours by pardoned reality TV star Todd Chrisley.[CBS News]
- Smith denied involvement in facilitating Chrisley's prison visits or managing agency contracts, including an $183,400 warden recruitment consulting contract awarded to a firm run by Anne Precythe.[CBS News]
What remains uncertain
- The precise reason for Smith's abrupt departure remains unstated by both Smith and the Bureau of Prisons.[CBS News]