NCJ Number
132652
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 53 Issue: 6 Dated: (October 1991) Pages: 110,112,114-115
Date Published
1991
Length
4 pages
Annotation
Corrections officers in Maryland's boot camps must endure the same physical and mental training as offenders in the program.
Abstract
The training requires that the officers be able to perform all the commands they give the inmates. The physical regimen requires that trainees run at least 6 miles daily, regardless of the weather. They also undergo intensive skills preparation to ensure they are capable of handling the inmates. They learn military lingo which includes memorizing word-for-word a set of "teach backs" or explanations of how to perform various drill commands and the purpose of each command. Trainees are treated like military recruits. Because of the difficult training regimen, only 14 trainees graduated in 1991 out of the 39 who entered the training program. Most quit the program. About 70 percent of the staff have previous military experience. In spite of the strenuous demands on the officers, most like their jobs. The tough training builds pride and a bond among staff. They also perceive that their involvement with the inmates has more of a constructive effect than in a traditional prison setting. Although no formal evaluation has been conducted of the Maryland boot camp program, there have been only 5 new arrests from among the 300 offenders who graduated the first year of the program.