We’re Making Prison a Place of Transformation
Fourth Purpose Foundation Established in 2019, we’ve been making a positive impact to our prison systems across the country through resources, education, and support around correction staff members, inmates, and the greater community. All of our resources are 100% free, allowing us to rapidly change a underserved part of our society. Learn more and become a part in making prison a place of transformation.
Fourth Purpose Foundation Mission
Make Prison a Place of Transformation
The prison system typically has four purposes. The biggest problem is that the fourth purpose—rehabilitation— does not prepare people to leave. That requires transformation. Transforming America’s prisoners requires transforming the way America thinks about prison and its overarching purpose.
- 3Learn Why We Started Fourth Purpose
Our story
The Need for Change Was a First Hand Experience
Josh Smith, Founder and CEO, knows the need for transformation in our prison system. He was born into poverty, raised by a single mother, and was sent away at the age of 11 due to abuse. Before he was 16 years old, Josh was convicted of 10 felonies. By the age of 21, he was convicted for his involvement in drug trafficking. Since his release in 2003, Josh has set out to transform his life and those around him. After building and selling the largest home improvement business in East Tennessee, he has dedicated a large portion of his wealth to impacting prisons so that others may find the opportunity to transform their lives through prison.
- 3Learn How We Make Prison a Place of Transformation
Our Focus Areas
Staff Resources
We are deeply committed to the corrections workforce. We provide thought-provoking innovative tools and training that is designed to help staff perform their duties in ways that lead to a healthier workplace culture, and better staff and inmate outcomes.
Inmate Resources
In prisons, we provide inmates with inspiring programming, relationships, and resources they need so they can live with meaning and purpose while re-entering society. These resources enable inmates to start leading better lives the day they enter prison.
Community Resources
We engage the community in the true mission of corrections: To enhance public safety and prevent any future crimes. We partner with businesses, educators, faith-based organizations, and social service providers to increase private sector participation.
- 3Stories from the inside. Change from within
Prison Life Media
- 3Learn About Our 3 Pillars of Transformation
Staff Resources
In order to achieve the mission of making prison a place of transformation, attention must be given to the workforce that operates and leads these facilities. Recruitment and retention problems continue to rise to critical levels.
The workforce is already strained by low pay, low prestige, high overtime, and high trauma exposure. Therefore, Fourth Purpose Foundation is developing tools and resources designed to invest in the personhood of the staff.
This aims to help them build resilience, find a sense of meaning in their work. In turn, this encourages a workplace culture that leads to better inmate outcomes and improved staff wellbeing.
Inmate Engagement
One of our programs, Visitation 2.0, is a free digital series of hope-filled, uplifting, Christ-centered content delivering messages of love and encouragement to individuals and families impacted by incarceration, as well as correctional staff.
Community Engagement
About 600,000 people get out of the nation’s prisons every year. Unfortunately, the formerly incarcerated return to custody in alarming numbers. Recidivism research shows that 6 in 10 will be rearrested within three years of their release.
Mentors and volunteers serving as aspirational role models have an enormous impact on the lives of inmates and are often seen as “family.” Inmates overwhelmingly report that mentors and volunteers are essential to their transformation.
