Target discrimiantion in a turbid medium is a practicable research topic. In this paper, we describe a method for increasing target contrast within a turbid medium by means of the polarization state of the scattered light. We present results of studies of the polarimetric backscattered light variations at 632.8 nm with and without a well-characterized painted target in a well characterized turbid medium consisting of 0.1μm monodispersed polystyrene spherical latex scatterers. The measured Miiller matrix, both with and without the target present, showed that only the major diagonal terms were significant and that they varied with particle concentration. We find that the diagonal terms of the Muller matrix measured with target and without target are different. In a turbid medium,we can determine whether the target is present or abscent from the difference. Simple discrimination based on detecting the major diagonal terms of Miiller matrix of backscattered light is shown to be more effective than the use of total intensity information.