117: We Rewind 2025 And Share What’s Coming Next

Five years in, the mission feels sharper than ever: equip correctional professionals with tools, mindset, and purpose that hold up under real pressure. We look back on a year of travel and training, thank the partners who help us serve, and pull together the most impactful moments from conversations that changed how we read risk, teach skills, and define what a good day on the tier looks like.Greg Williams and Brian Marren break down human behavior pattern recognition in a way that clicks on contact: master the baseline, spot the deviation, act before escalation. From the “watching the watcher” concept to recalibrating your mind at every threshold, their insights show why anticipation beats reaction and why prisons are the ultimate classroom for sense-making. We build on that with practical training talk from Myles Cook, who turns skills into a repeatable process: define the real problem, design adult-learning solutions, and leave with a pitch your leaders can approve and measure. It’s training that sticks because it solves something that hurts.We also get grounded in purpose with Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, who frames corrections as a life of daily sacrifice in service of public safety. That perspective threads through Pete Bloodworth’s story of earning trust at USP Marion, where open bars and lever locks demanded courage and clarity, and Jimmy Cummings walks us through a can’t-make-this-up escape tale that proves the job will surprise you no matter how many shifts you’ve worked. Along the way, we share updates on my upcoming new books—The Weight of Justice and Echoes of the OzarksIf these insights help you work smarter and safer, tap follow, share with a teammate, and leave a review on your podcast app. Your support helps more officers find tools that matter and keeps this community learning together.Send us Fan Mail Command PresenceBringing prisons and jails the training they deserve!Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showNEW RELEASE — The Weight of Justice: Leadership Lessons from Inside America's Toughest Prisons: A Correctional Officer's JourneyBuy on Amazon or Kindle: https://amzn.to/3PLr5tRAvailable worldwide through Books2Read: https://books2read.com/WeightofJusticePOWER SKILLS: Emotional Intelligence and Soft Skills for Correctional Officers, First Responders, and BeyondAvailable on Amazon: https://amzn.to/4mBeog5See Michael's books and author updates at: www.CantrellWrites.com🎙️ Support The Prison Officer PodcastGo deeper with The Prison Officer Podcast on Patreon. Inside Behind the Wall, you'll get:• Exclusive content • Behind-the-scenes insights • Leadership discussions • Bonus episodes and resources👉 Join here: https://www.patreon.com/ThePrisonOfficer📬 Connect with MichaelEmail: [email protected]: https://www.facebook.com/ThePrisonOfficerWebsite: www.theprisonofficer.comTake care of each other and be safe behind those walls and fences.#prisonofficerpodcast ...