Pennsylvania's Motivational Boot Camp Program: What Have We Learned Over the Last Seventeen Years?

• NCJ Number: 238495
• Author(s): Cynthia A. Kempinen Ph.D.
• Date Published: March 2011
• Length: 6 pages
• Corporate Author: Pennsylvania Cmssn on Sentencing
• Sale Source: Pennsylvania Cmssn on Sentencing
• Publication Format: Document; Document (Online)
• Publication Type: Program/Project Description
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Research Bulletin, V 10, N 1, March 2011

Annotation

This 2011 mandated legislative report on Pennsylvania's "motivational boot camp" program reviews what has been learned from the annual boot camp evaluations over the last 14 years, and findings are presented from the latest study that compared the recidivism of boot camp graduates with offenders released from prison.

Abstract

The Motivational Boot Camp is an alternative to traditional State prison. It allows eligible inmates to serve a reduced 6-month sentence if they successfully complete the program, which provides a more intensive rehabilitative setting. The boot camp program is designed to instill discipline and structure for residents through regimented 16-hour days that consist of work and program activities. Offenders who have not graduated from high school attend mandatory education classes, and those with academic degrees are assigned to work duties. Those who graduate from the program are automatically released to parole supervision until the expiration of their maximum sentence. Approximately 43 percent of the offenders sentenced to prison are statutorily eligible for boot camp. The boot camp has a high graduation rate, with approximately 87 percent graduating over the years. The annual evaluations have consistently shown that offenders who graduate from boot camp exhibit positive attitudinal change. There is no evidence that offenders who graduate from boot camp reoffend more than those who are released after imprisonment; however, the researchers are cautious about concluding that the boot camp lowers reoffending rates compared to imprisonment. The study concludes that since the boot camp saves money without compromising public safety, it should continue to operate. In addition, since the boot camp has never reached capacity over the years, consideration should be given to changing the age requirement, since age is the major reason that otherwise eligible offenders are excluded. Thirty-five years old is the current age limit for participation in the boot camp. 1 figure and 2 tables