Michael "Prison Mike" Cantrell

Michael Cantrell, host of the acclaimed Prison Officer Podcast (www.theprisonofficer.com), brings over three decades of corrections expertise to his work as a writer, speaker, and trainer. After retiring from the Federal Bureau of Prisons as Chief of the Office of Emergency Preparedness, Michael has established himself as a leading authority in correctional operations, crisis management, and leadership development.

Throughout his distinguished 30-year career, Michael has led special response teams, disturbance control units, and canine teams. He holds multiple instructor certifications in firearms, non/less lethal weapons, breaching, and disturbance control, and is widely recognized as a foremost expert in correctional breaching techniques.

As a prolific writer, Michael has authored over fifty articles published in respected industry publications, including the ILEETA Journal, CorrectionsOne.com, and American Jails magazine. His literary portfolio includes four books: Monotonous Chaos: The Ramblings of a Prison Guard, Finding Your Purpose: Crafting a Personal Vision Statement, Keys to Your New Career: Information and Guidance to Get Hired and be Successful as a Correctional or Detention Officer, and Born of the Ozarks.

Currently serving as both the Director of Correctional Training for Command Presence and OMNI Real-time Locating Systems, and a Master Instructor for PepperBall, Michael remains actively engaged in the field as a sought-after consultant specializing in the use of force protocols and physical security assessments. His expertise as a Training Coach has made him a regular speaker on leadership, resilience, and crisis management for organizations nationwide.