NCJ Number
210502
Journal
Journal of Offender Rehabilitation Volume: 40 Issue: 3/4 Dated: 2005 Pages: 133-152
Date Published
2005
Length
20 pages
Annotation
Findings from a review of studies of boot camp prisons are analyzed to determine whether cultural values of masculinity promoted in the military regime of boot camps may be ineffective in producing the desired changes in criminal behavior.
Abstract
Within a patriarchal society, masculinity is epitomized as strong, independent, dominant, aggressive, coercive, forceful, tough, rational, logical, competitive, and unemotional. Femininity, on the other hand, is viewed as weak, erratic, emotional, dependent, subservient, and passive. Thus, boot camp prisons are masculine organizations in terms of their use of a paramilitary regime that emphasizes aggressive interaction, physical exercise, physical labor, corporal punishment, limited visits with family, and limited contact with women. Only a few studies of recidivists from boot camp prisons have examined the link between individual attributes and success after release. These studies, when analyzed from a gendered perspective, tend to support the argument of this paper that masculine organizations, such as boot camp prisons, may interact with inmates' individual characteristics to contribute to recidivism. Studies of typical offenders sentenced to boot camps show that they are mostly young drug offenders who are action-oriented, impulsive, nonreflective, and lacking in interpersonal skills. They also tend to externalize blame to others and reward acts of personal power and toughness. Some studies have found that for younger offenders, hypermasculinity compensates for male insecurity, leading to the greater likelihood that they will use aggression to dominate and manipulate others. This suggests that programs for younger offenders, such as boot camps, may need to temper a hypermasculine environment and/or commitment to stereotypes of masculinity. 73 references