California – Retired Correctional Officer Starting Podcast About Past Employment – What Legal Risks And What Type Of Attorney?

Location: California, USA

A retired California state correctional officer is considering starting a podcast discussing his past employment experience. The content would generally include:

• Personal stories from his career (serious, difficult, or occasionally humorous incidents) *
• Explanations of how prison operations work (e.g., housing units, segregation/solitary confinement, disturbance or riot response procedures, daily routines, classification systems)
  
• General commentary on incarceration-related current events, such as when a public figure is sentenced and how high-profile inmates are typically handled in his experience

He would not be sharing current security protocols, confidential documents, or ongoing investigative information.

Before proceeding, we are trying to identify any obvious or consequential legal risks under California or federal law.

Specifically: 1. Do confidentiality obligations for California correctional officers typically survive retirement?

1. If past incidents are described without naming individuals, under what circumstances could someone still be legally considered identifiable for defamation or invasion of privacy purposes?

2. Does defamation law apply to deceased individuals in California?

3. Are there privacy restrictions regarding discussion of former inmates’ medical, mental health, or disciplinary history?

Additionally, if a local attorney is highly recommend, what type of attorney would be most appropriate for this situation (employment law, criminal law, media/First Amendment, etc.)?

We are simply trying to understand the general risk landscape before publishing anything publicly.