As the Founder and CEO of Fourth Purpose Foundation, Josh Smith is dedicated to making prison a place of transformation.
Although now a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist, in his early 20s Josh spent five years in federal prison for his involvement in marijuana and cocaine trafficking. Prison changed Josh’s life. At the time of his incarceration, several high-level professionals were incarcerated for various acts of white-collar crime. These professional, educated men introduced Josh to a world he had not yet known through books, education, and their life experiences. Not only that, but while serving time Josh established a relationship with God like he did not know could exist. Here he found hope and a different purpose for his life.
After leaving prison, Josh faced many struggles as he tried to assimilate back into society. He remembers his wife driving him from place to place so he could beg for a six dollar an hour job. His family was kicked out of the government housing they had lived in throughout his sentence when Josh was released to join them based on his status as a felon. Leaning on his character and faith, Josh ventured out to start a small home-improvement company that grew into an enterprise worth nearly $30 million when he sold it in 2019.
From this revenue, Josh and his wife Tracy began the Fourth Purpose Foundation with an investment of over $10 million. Josh has spent many years educating himself and others on international prison models, both internationally and within the US. He has been the keynote speaker for many different organizations across the country, including the 2021 Correctional Leadership Association’s Conference.
In 2019, Josh was appointed by Governor Bill Lee to serve on Tennessee’s Criminal Justice Reinvestment Task Force. This working group had the responsibility of conducting a review of the state’s criminal justice system and making recommendations on how to move toward a system that focuses on recidivism reduction and crime prevention. Josh has recently been appointed Director of Governor Lee’s Volunteer Mentorship Initiative set to launch this year. In this role, Josh and a skilled advisory board will connect businesses, the faith community, nonprofits, and community leaders to those inside prison walls to promote public safety and reduce recidivism. In 2021, Josh received a very rare full pardon when President Donald Trump pardoned him due to his exceptional life change since being released from prison.