Mecca Terry

Dr. Mecca K. Terry is a Lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. She earned a B.A. in Law and Society with a minor in Sociology from Ramapo College of New Jersey, an M.A. in Criminal Justice from Rutgers University, an M.S. in Human Services and a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from Capella University.

Dr. Terry teaches a wide range of courses including Criminology, Juvenile Justice, Probation and Parole, Foundations of Addiction Counseling, Crime in Different Cultures, Private Security, Introduction to Criminal Justice, and Police and Society. A retired probation officer, she has over 10 years of experience in the criminal justice field. She serves as a member of the Collaboratory for Justice Education at Eastern State Penitentiary and is the author of Probation, Parole and Community Corrections.

Her research interests include police-community relations, pedagogy and assessment in criminal justice education and community corrections. Dr. Terry is an international speaker and was a featured speaker at TEDxUNCP. She is a member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. and several professional criminal justice organizations.

Dr. Terry is also the founder of Embracing My Natural, Inc., a nonprofit organization focused on education and empowerment around natural hair. She partners with The Crown Act/Coalition to support anti-discrimination legislation. Outside of work, she loves traveling with her partner, daughter and dogs.