WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – September 15, 2026 – Josh Smith, former Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the first person to serve in senior BOP leadership after previously serving a federal prison sentence, will deliver the opening keynote address at White Collar Conference 2026, presented by the White Collar Support Group™.
The virtual conference will take place Saturday, October 10, 2026, beginning at 9:00 a.m. Eastern/6:00 a.m. Pacific on Zoom, with networking opening at 8:30 a.m. Eastern/5:30 a.m. Pacific. This year’s theme is “Ending the White Collar Life Sentence.”
Smith served five years in a federal prison camp after a drug-trafficking conviction and returned home determined to rebuild his life. He went on to build Master Service Companies into a roughly $30 million enterprise with more than 180 employees before selling the business. He then devoted substantial personal resources to criminal-justice reform, founding the Fourth Purpose Foundation to help make prisons places of transformation for incarcerated people and correctional staff. In June 2025, Smith was appointed Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, becoming the first person who had previously served a federal prison sentence to hold senior leadership in the agency. Smith resigned from the BOP in August 2026 after just over a year in the role, bringing a rare combination of lived experience, business success, philanthropy and institutional leadership to his White Collar Conference keynote.
Jeffrey D. Grant, Esq., co-founder of the White Collar Support Group and host of White Collar Conference 2026, said: “Josh Smith’s journey—from federal prison to building a major business and ultimately helping lead the BOP—is exactly what we mean by ending the white collar life sentence. We are honored to have him open this year’s conference.”
Drew Chapin, founder of The Discoverability Company and co-host of White Collar Conference 2026, added: “Josh proves that a conviction does not have to define the rest of a person’s life. His experience and perspective make him an extraordinary keynote speaker for this community.”
White Collar Conference 2026 will bring together justice-impacted people and their families with nationally recognized leaders, advocates, professionals and people with lived experience to confront the barriers that can continue long after a prison term, probation or supervised release has ended including obstacles to employment, professional licensing, housing, banking, reputation, relationships and full participation in community life.
The conference will also feature a Fireside Chat with legendary trial lawyer Dickie Scruggs; the panel “Rebuilding Your Career After a Justice Journey”; and a special presentation, “The Trauma of Asking for Forgiveness: Pardons, Clemency and Reliving the Worst Chapter of Your Life.” Additional programming will address online reputation management in the age of A.I., restitution and remission, and other challenges of reentry and long-term restoration.
White Collar Conference 2026 is open to all justice-impacted people, family members, friends, clients, colleagues, attorneys and other professionals, and anyone in need of information, support or community. For information about registration, navigate to WhiteCollarConference.com.
About the White Collar Support Group™:
The White Collar Support Group™, founded in 2013 by Jeff Grant and Lynn Springer, is a nonprofit organization devoted to serving people and families navigating the white collar criminal justice system. It has grown into a worldwide community of more than 2,000 justice-impacted individuals, family members and supporters, providing community, peer support, education and practical resources throughout prosecution, sentencing, incarceration, reentry and professional reintegration.
Media ContactCompany Name: White Collar Support GroupContact Person: Jeff GrantEmail: Send EmailPhone: 2128593512Address:516 S. Dixie Highway Box 222City: West Palm BeachState: FloridaCountry: United StatesWebsite: https://prisonist.org/
