About cjconsultant.com

Terry Pelz is a former corporate officer for a private corrections company and a former Texas prison warden. He founded cjconsultant.com in 1998. He is a nationally recognized authority on prisons and prison gangs and has testified numerous times in state and federal court on the subject.

Mr. Pelz knows prisons...

Mr. Pelz knows private sector corrections...

Mr. Pelz knows prison gangs...

An article by Michael Berryhill, a well known freelance reporter, appeared in the New Republic in 1999 regarding the Texas prison system. Mr. Pelz allowed Mr. Berryhill to interview him after his expert witness testimony in the Lawrence Russell Brewer (Jasper dragging death) trial. Mr. Pelz provided Mr. Berryhill valuable insight into the operations of the prison system and the inmate subculture.

Mr. Pelz also provided author Joyce King valuable insight into her riveting story of the James Bryd (Jasper, Texas dragging death murder) story. You can find her book, Hate Crime: The Story of a Dragging in Jasper, Texas, and Terry Pelz's interview with her at Amazon.com and local bookstores.

Mr. Pelz has given interviews to newspapers and television many, many times over his career. A search of the internet will reveal many articles quoting him on many issues regarding prisons and prison gangs. In compliance with U.S. Copyright laws, Mr. Pelz does not post those articles on this web site. Should you desire to view them, he can provide you an individual reference. In addition he has appeared on The History Channel's "Gangland" regarding Texas prison gangs, Court TV, MSNBC Investigates, and a world-wide British (Jeremy Marre) documentary on the Aryan Brotherhood in Texas prisons.

Most prison and jail policies are well written but sometimes not followed. Poor training of correctional staff is observed by many to be a major problem. Other major problem areas of prisons are:

  • excessive use of force 

  • official misconduct

  • access to medical treatment

  • physical and psychological mistreatment

  • wrongful death

  • suicide

  • bribery

  • victimization by other offenders

  • gang coercion, among other life threatening ordeals

  • inadequate training programs

  • discipline procedures

  • supervision and management 

It must be said that many claims of abuse or deliberate indifference are frivolous. Those that are not need to be carefully assessed. Let me help you sort through the facts for an honest opinion.

If you are representing a client in a criminal case or representing an inmate or inmates in a 42 USC Sec.1983 civil action and you have questions regarding the conditions in prisons, please contact me.

Now available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. Terry Pelz and Dr. Beth Pelz team up to produce a comprehensive supplement on criminal justice in Texas. The very latest information on police, courts, juvenile, and adult corrections.