NCJ Number
187473
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 63 Issue: 1 Dated: February 2001 Pages: 50-54
Editor(s)
Susan L. Clayton
Date Published
February 2001
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article addresses the military atmosphere and physical demands of boot camp as appropriate or inappropriate for women offenders with an analysis of the New York Shock Incarceration Program.
Abstract
The literature on female offenders in boot camps is sparse. Past studies have raised concerns about the use of boot camps in general and their appropriateness for women in particular. Studies show the programs provide for early release and additional therapeutic programming, and women should have equal access to boot camp programs. It is suggested that the programs be designed to address the specific needs of women. The male oriented, military style components of boot camps may preclude women from taking advantage of the intensive therapeutic programming offered in the programs. In 1998, 16 jurisdictions included female participants in their boot camps. New York’s program for women is the largest. The creators of the New York Shock Incarceration Program give special emphasis on treatment and education and careful attention to the special needs of women in boot camp. One way to see if boot camps meet the needs of women is to ask the question: Do women who begin the program complete it? Even though female offenders are less likely than males to accept and enter boot camps, and are less likely to complete the program, boot camp women are well represented within New York’s incarcerated population. Women who completed boot camp were substantially less likely than the comparison group women to return to prison within three years of release. The New York program for women operates with the belief that a carefully designed boot camp has much to offer women offenders physically, mentally, and spiritually. Charts, graphs