President Trump’s Bureau of Prisons is delivering on second chances

In a series of messages marking Second Chance Month, President Trump reaffirmed his commitment to pathways to redemption, safer communities and making sure people who take responsibility can rebuild their lives. This matters, especially to families counting the days until someone comes home.

I know because my family was one of them. 

But action is what counts, and that’s exactly what has been taking place at the Bureau of Prisons under the leadership of Bill Marshall, a 25-year law enforcement veteran appointed by Trump last year to head a complex institution. 

A little more than a year into his tenure, the turnaround of the bureau is moving on three fronts: a new approach to leadership, long-overdue repairs to crumbling infrastructure and reentry efforts built around public safety. 

It starts with the people at the top. Marshall named Josh Smith, who was once incarcerated himself, as his deputy director, putting someone who knows the system firsthand at the heart of running it. He and Smith then made it a point to visit facilities across the country and sit down with the people who live and work inside them to hear directly what is broken and what they need.

On one visit, the director looked at a tray of expired food and asked the warden a simple question: Would you eat that? The warden said no, and Marshall answered, “Then don’t serve it.”

That is the standard he is setting, and he has not........

© The Hill