NCJ Number
178632
Date Published
June 1998
Length
19 pages
Annotation
After an overview of juvenile boot camps in the United States, this paper presents research findings regarding the impacts of juvenile boot camps on recidivism, cost savings, and the aftercare component compared to juvenile residential facilities; recommendations are offered for opening or operating a juvenile boot camp.
Abstract
A "boot camp," according to the U.S. Office of Justice Programs, includes a physical training component; education and job training and placement; community service; substance abuse counseling and treatment; health and mental health care; continuous, individualized case management; and intensive aftercare services that are fully integrated with the boot camp program. Juvenile boot camp programs tend to replicate the boot camp training that military recruits receive. With their only criterion being a paramilitary style, boot camp types can range from having a military regime, vocational counseling, psychological counseling, drug treatment, or an educational component. Rehabilitation and cost-savings are the goals most often pursued through boot camps. The research conducted by the Koch Crime Institute has not shown that juvenile boot camps reduce recidivism. Some boot camps have shown that intensive supervision following graduation from a boot camp has decreased the offender's chance of recidivism. Cost-savings compared with institutional commitment are a major aspect of boot camps. This alone can set the foundation to build boot camps into a traditional placement by increasing knowledge about how to operate a juvenile boot camp efficiently. Recommendations for operating or opening a juvenile boot camp focus on the importance of aftercare, staff training, the identification of key rehabilitative components, a structured schedule, and a minimum length of stay of 180 days. 48 notes and 27 references