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Judge Berry created the Kids' Court/Ask an Inmate program in 1994 as a special field trip for fifth grade elementary school students. In the years that have followed, students from all over the Truckee Meadows have visited Judge Berry's courtroom to participate in a mock trial, entitled B.B.Wolf v. Curley Pig. Kids Court is a scripted mock trial held in the courtroom. The children are each assigned a role, complete with costumes. Students and parents have the opportunity to see first hand how jury trials are conducted. The students meet with the Judge and talk about the trial and the American justice system.

After the students complete the trial, the costumes are put away and two jail inmates are escorted into the courtroom. The Ask an Inmate program is an interactive discussion with prisoners who tell the students their life stories and where they made wrong choices. Deputy Scott Thomas of the Washoe County Sheriff's Department moderates the discussion. The questions and answers are often funny, sad, tough and poignant. The goal of the program is to teach students about the consequences of peer pressure, the dangers of adolescent drug abuse, alcohol use, and gangs, as well as the importance of making good decisions.

Students, parents, and teachers consistently report that Kids' Court/Ask an Inmate is one of their favorite and most valuable learning experiences. Since its inception in 1994, more than 150 (approximately 5000 students and parents)elementary school classes have attended this innovative program.

What students and teachers say about Kids' Court/Ask an Inmate:

• "It's my first time in court, and I did learn things are a lot different from T.V."
• "This is so much better than the Simpson trial"
  
• When asked how the student jury reached their verdict, the foreman's response: "It's classified."
• "But the funny thing was that almost no people voted for the Pig and a lot voted for the Wolf. But it goes to show that sometimes the good people win and sometimes the bad people win."
• "I learned that some people use drugs and then the drugs make them crazy."
• "I learned a lot. One is that you don't get tomatoes on your sandwich and you eat the same thing for breakfast everyday."
• "The inmate said he was in solitary confinement for years. That was pretty scary."
• "When the inmates came in I thought they were going to be mean, but they were very kind to warn us not to end up like they did."
• "People say life is a journey. That means you're suppose to make your life the best you can, so I'm going to do that."
• "I couldn't believe they (the inmates) had the guts to tell us about their lives."
• "I learned jail is a very bad place and I don't want to go there."
• "My favorite thing about it was when you had the two criminals come in and talk to us. It really made me think about how fortunate I was to have the support and family that I have. Also it helped me understand how easy it was to make a wrong choice."
• "It is such a powerful program. Parents and students were astonished over the inmate interview. After the trip, I had parents come to my classroom and make comments concerning the importance of the experience for not just their children but for them." Peavine Elementary School, January 2000
• "I just wanted to thank you for another great Kids Court experience. I think it should be a required trip for fifth graders. My students get so much out of it. They talk about the session with the inmates for some time after the trip." Echo Loder Elementary School, April 2000

• "I became addicted to heroin in prison."
• "I lost everything . . . my whole life."
• "Most everything I know now, today, I learned while I was in prison."
• "My parents and stuff died when I was real young, so I could have turned out to be a real idiot."
• "The first time I used drugs was in prison. They're so plentiful there. You know, you're there and you are angry."
• "When you misbehave in prison, you are put in solitary confinement and fed nutri-loaf."
• "Being a part of the program was one of the only times in my life where I could turn the negatives of my criminal ways into a positive."
• "I will say my criminal life has been extensive and in all of my life I have never witnessed a program that I felt was as impressive as this one."

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