NCJ Number
176464
Date Published
1999
Length
78 pages
Annotation
This booklet and brochures addressed to adolescents provide information, advice, and resources about abuse and violence in dating relationships, the nature of healthy and unhealthy relationships, signs of abuse, abuse of elderly persons, and recommended actions and resources for batterers and victims.
Abstract
The programs were conducted in Cleveland, Denver, and Mobile, Ala. They were designed as highly structured, 3-month residential programs followed by 6-9 months of community-based aftercare for adjudicated, nonviolent offenders under age 18. Youths were to pursue academic and vocational training or employment during the aftercare period, while under intensive but progressively diminishing supervision. Evaluations compared the boot camps to other dispositional alternatives with respect to recidivism rates and cost-effectiveness. Results revealed that most participants completed the residential program, academic skills improved markedly, and a significant number of participants found jobs while in aftercare. However, the programs did not reduce recidivism. Findings indicated that the appropriate population should be targeted, the facility location is important, staff selection and training are crucial, and aftercare programs are challenging to implement. In addition, coordination among agencies must be maintained, effective evaluation begins with planning, and cost savings can occur when boot camps are used as an alternative to confinement. OJJDP is collaborating with the Office of Justice Programs to try to reach the objectives of reducing recidivism, improving academic performance, reducing costs of treating juvenile offenders, and inculcating the values of discipline and hard work. Many of the lessons learned from the OJJDP demonstration sites have been incorporated in the OJP Boot Camp Corrections Program. Source of further information