A former inmate pardoned by President Trump has been tapped to be deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Joshua Smith, a Tennessee businessman who founded an inmate advocacy and rehabilitation nonprofit foundation, the Fourth Purpose, was pardoned on the last day of Trump's first term in office for drug trafficking crimes from more than two decades ago, according to bureau spokesperson Kristie Breshears, NBC News reported.

A senior bureau official said that the BOP has never had a formerly incarcerated inmate work as an employee at any level.

“Josh brings to this role something our agency has never had before at this level, a perspective shaped by lived experience, proven innovation and national impact,” BOP Director William K. Marshall III said in a memo to staff on Thursday.

“His firsthand understanding of our facilities – of the tension, the risk and the importance of trust – makes him uniquely positioned to advocate for the resources and reforms front-line staff need to do their jobs safely and effectively,” Marshall added.

Smith declined to comment.

The new deputy director was convicted of conspiracy to possess drugs with intent to distribute. He pleaded guilty to 1997 indictments for marijuana- and cocaine-related charges. The court recommended he serve time at the Federal Correctional Institution Manchester in Kentucky and boot camp for a five-year sentence. Smith was also set to have five years' supervised release, substance abuse treatment, and a $12,500 fine.

Smith's online biography, says he was raised by a single mother in government housing, convicted of 10 felonies by age 16, and entered prison at 21. During his time in prison, he said he learned about Christianity and God and was mentored by white-collar criminals.