Resume

Terry Pelz

Experience:

  • Director of Operations for the Bobby Ross Group, a private sector corrections company in Austin, Texas

  • Warden II, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division (1976-1996)

  • Contract Instructor for Houston Police Department In-Service Academy

  • Adjunct instructor in criminal justice at Wharton County Junior College

  • Nationally recognized authority on prison gangs in both state and federal courts

Education:

  • Lamar University, Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
  • University of Cincinnati, Master of Science in Criminal Justice

Faculty:

  • Wharton County Junior College

Co-author Of:

  • Introduction to Criminal Justice: Texas Edition, Wadsworth Publishing, 2000

  • Prison Gangs - Right Wing Extremism in the Texas Prisons: The Rise and Fall of the Aryan Brotherhood of Texas, The Prison Journal, Fall-Winter 1991

Other Support Projects:

  • Interviewed by media sources regarding prison gangs and prison conditions.

  • Interviewed by MSNBC Investigates regarding Texas Seven prison escape.

  • Interviewed by Court TV regarding Texas parole decisions and inmate Gregory Ott.

  • Interviewed by Jeremy Marre for his British and Court TV documentary on the Aryan Brotherhood and Aryan Brotherhood of Texas prison gang, 2006.

  • Provided assistance to Gangland Productions for a documentary which aired on the History Channel’s "Gangland" episode, Texas Terror, regarding the history of the Texas Syndicate prison gang (April 2008). See episode here.

  • Appeared on History Channel’s Gangland episode, Aryan Terror, a documentary on the Texas Aryan Brotherhood prison gang (February 2009).

  • Provided assistance to Gangland Productions for a documentary which aired in July 2009 on the History Channel’s, "Gangland" regarding the Texas prison gang, Aryan Circle.

Expert Witness and Technical Support Projects:

  • Provided support on "Ask the Expert – Prisons" forum for The National Organization of Parents of Murdered Children.

  • Hired as an expert witness to provide testimony in the Brazoria County/Missouri inmates alleged abuse case. Settled civil case.

  • Assisted and provided gang expert for Virginia defense of juvenile, certified as an adult, and charged with first degree murder.

  • Consulted with defense team on street gang issues and provided expert on street gangs to testify during guilt/innocence phase. Defendant was charged with capital murder and it was alleged he was a member of the Crips. Trial was held in Amarillo, Texas.

  • Provided consultation to a plaintiff attorney regarding access to medical care in a state prison.

  • Provided consultation to a plaintiff attorney in a 1983 action regarding a state corrections agency failing to provide protection to an inmate who informed prison authorities of gang activity. Inmate was subsequently assaulted and injured by inmates.

  • Testified as gang expert witness for the Federal Public Defender's Office providing testimony regarding the prison gang, Texas Mexican Mafia (Mexikanemi) and their operations as a criminal enterprise. Defendant, accused of selling drugs, was forced to do so by this prison spawned gang. July 1999.

  • Testified as defense expert witness on use of force for the Federal Public Defender's Office in the defense of a private corrections supervisor accused of excessive use of force on a Missouri inmate. The charge was brought by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Houston, Texas. A mistrial was declared after the jury could not reach a verdict. Split 6-6, the jury was 10-2 for acquittal the day before. August 1999.

  • Testified as defense expert witness on prison gangs and prison conditions. State of Texas v. Lawrence Russell Brewer. Defendant was charged with capital murder in the Jasper, Texas dragging death. September 1999.

  • Testified as expert witness on use of force for the Federal Public Defender's Office in the criminal case regarding the Brazoria County/Missouri inmate videotaped episode where it is alleged that excessive force was used against Missouri inmates. October 1999.

  • Hired as defense expert witness on gangs for federal capital murder case, U.S. v. Kenneth Tatum. Found guilty and assessed life without parole. September 2000.

  • Hired as plaintiff expert witness regarding officer using excessive force on inmate in a county jail. 2001-2003. Case settled.

  • Hired as defense expert witness on prison gangs and prison issues for punishment phase of state capital murder trial, State of Texas v. Roger Dean, Cause No. 852518, 183rd District Court, Harris County, Texas. Defendant received a life sentence. March-April 2001.

  • Hired as plaintiff expert witness in Federal civil suit regarding officers being fired for whistle blowing on private corrections company. July 2001. Case terminated.

  • Testified as defense expert witness on gang tattoos and prison gangs in preliminary hearing and guilt/innocence phase of trial. Defendant was charged with involuntary manslaughter and a hate crime, State of California v. Paul W. King. March 2002.

  • Hired as defense expert witness on prison gangs in a case where defendant was indicted for murder. July 2002.

  • Hired as plaintiff expert witness regarding a private corrections company's alleged 'failure to protect' a juvenile client. In discovery. March 2003. Case settled in January 2004.

  • Hired as defense expert witness in a state civil suit regarding product liability wherein it relates to a corrections department's misuse of tangible assets. May 2003. Case settled.

  • Testified as defense expert witness in federal capital murder case, U.S. v. Shannon Agofsky. Eastern District of Texas, Beaumont.  July 2004.

  • Hired as defense expert witness in federal criminal case, U.S. v. Eugene Morris and Tracy Jewett. Defendant Jewett, who employed me, was acquitted. May 2008.

  • Testified as defense expert witness in the death penalty punishment phase of Texas Syndicate member. State of Texas v. Raymond DeLeon Martinez. March 2009.