The Federal Bureau of Prisons is pleased to introduce the Damon West BOP Tour, an initiative designed to inspire reflection, perseverance, and meaningful progress among staff and inmates across the agency. Damon West is a nationally recognized author and public speaker. He has published several best selling books, earned a master’s degree in criminal justice, and served as an adjunct professor of criminal justice at the University of Houston–Downtown. His philanthropic work and public speaking career have taken him to major corporations, universities, and professional organizations nationwide.
Despite the high profile audiences he typically addresses, Mr. West is speaking at our institutions and to our staff at no cost, driven by the deep respect he holds for the correctional professionals who shaped his life during his incarceration. He often shares that the staff who treated him with dignity, accountability, and humanity were instrumental in his transformation, and this tour is his way of giving back.
Once incarcerated and sentenced to life in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice before being paroled in 2015, Mr. West has chosen not to distance himself from the correctional system that defined his past. Instead, he has dedicated his life to uplifting others through a message centered on hope, resilience, and personal responsibility.
Mr. West joined Deputy Director Joshua J. Smith for an institution visit last summer and later participated in the 2025 BOP Corrections Leadership Summit at the Management and Specialty Training Center in Aurora, Colorado. During the Summit, he emphasized themes that resonated strongly with BOP leaders: servant leadership, the power of influence, and the importance of focusing on what lies ahead rather than what is behind us. His conversations with staff, both at the Summit and during institution visits, highlighted the critical role correctional professionals play in shaping culture, modeling integrity, and supporting the wellness of those around them.
Building on the momentum of these early engagements, Mr. West has launched a nationwide tour with the goal of visiting as many federal institutions as possible. At each stop, he is meeting directly with staff to discuss leadership, wellness, and the “coffee bean mindset,” the idea that individuals have the power to positively transform their environment. He is also speaking with inmates about accountability, change, and the long term impact of daily choices.
With four institutions already visited and many more scheduled in the coming weeks and months, the Damon West BOP Tour continues to grow in reach and impact.
Be on the lookout. Your institution may be next.