Local Affiliate

Turnaround Talks
By: Judge Monica Z. Notzon

Practice Goals
Turnaround Talks (also referred to as “courtroom tour” or “crime awareness” programs) is a deterrence-oriented program that involves organized visits to the courtroom and adult prison facilities for middle school and high school students. The most well-known of these programs is Scared Straight. The overall goal of Turnaround Talks is to deter youth from future criminal behavior including involvement in drugs and gangs.

Target Population
The program targets youth generally between ages of 12 and 16.

Practice Theory
Deterrence theory underlies the Turnaround Talks program. The foundation of deterrence theory is that if punishment is swift, severe, and certain, it will deter criminal and delinquent behavior (Klenowski, Bell, and Dodson 2010). Through jail tours and presentations by judges, attorneys, and inmates, youth get to observe the consequences of criminal behavior (i.e. incarceration). These practices are intended to “turn around” or “scare” youth into leading a “straight” life without crime.

Practice Components
The two main components of the Turnaround Talks program are tours of jail facilities and courtroom presentations by people involved in the criminal justice system. Guided tours of the facilities allow youth to observe first-hand what a prison environment can be like. In some programs, youth are locked inside jail cells or spend some short amount of time actually living as an inmate.

Speakers and inmates describe, through personal accounts, the detrimental and destructive effects of committing crimes. Inmates talk about the wrong choices they made, the crimes they committed that ultimately led to incarceration, and how painful and sometimes dangerous it can be to live in prison. Youth may even be shown photos illustrating the outcomes of violence in prison.

People involved in criminal justice such as lawyers, probation officers, and judges describe courtroom procedures and consequences of gang affiliations, drugs, and other crimes.

The Turnaround Talks program I created for the 111th District Court is meant to counter the sensationalism of television, video games, and movies that younger children are exposed to and for the older kids, to give them a glimpse of reality.  In today’s society, live exposure to the courthouse and jail cells will impact young minds and deter many kids from making poor choices.

The Honorable Monica Z. Notzon has served as judge of the 111th District Court for the past six years. She brought to the bench over 20 years of prosecutorial and defense experience when she was elected in 2010.  Judge Notzon can be reached for questions or comments at (956) 523-4230.