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Juvenile Boot Camps
What are juvenile
boot camps?
Juvenile boot camps are
correctional programs for delinquent youth in a military-style
environment. These programs typically emphasize discipline and
physical conditioning and were developed as a rigorous alternative
to longer terms of confinement in juvenile correctional facilities.
Many, but not all, of these programs are followed by a period of
probation or some form of aftercare. Boot camps are generally
restricted to non-violent or first-time offenders.
Are boot camps effective?
Boot camps do not reduce
recidivism. Numerous studies of adult and juvenile boot camps have
shown that graduates do no better in terms of recidivism than
offenders who were incarcerated or, in some cases, than those
sentenced to regular probation supervision. In fact, some
researchers have found that boot camp graduates are more likely to
be re-arrested or are re-arrested more quickly than other offenders.
Boot camps may not be cost
effective. Although some boot camps enable jurisdictions to save
money because youth serve shorter sentences, others have found that
the extra costs of operating boot camps outweigh the benefits. For
example, boot camps tend to be more labor intensive and more
expensive to operate. If youth are sentenced to a boot camp when
they could have been placed in probation or a community-based
program, jurisdictions are actually losing money.
Experts agree that a
confrontational approach is not appropriate. Most correctional and
military experts agree that a confrontational model, employing
tactics of intimidation and humiliation, is counterproductive for
most youth in the juvenile justice system. The use of this kind of
model has led to disturbing incidents of abuse. For youth of color
(who represent the vast majority of the juveniles sentenced to boot
camps)-as well as for youth with emotional, behavioral, or learning
problems-degrading tactics may be particularly inappropriate and
potentially damaging. The bullying style and aggressive interactions
that characterize the boot camp environment fail to model the
pro-social behavior and development of empathy that these youth
really need to learn.
Positive changes
demonstrated while in the program may not last when a youth returns
to his community. Many adult and juvenile offenders sentenced to
boot camps report that the program is helpful to them and they feel
more positive about their futures. It is unclear, however, whether
these attitudinal changes persist after youth leave the boot camp,
or whether they are related to actual changes in behavior once a
youth returns to his community. Without significant therapeutic
intervention while in the program, as well as specialized aftercare
following release, boot camp programs have been consistently
unsuccessful in "rehabilitating" juvenile or adult offenders.
Boot camps are not a "quick
fix." Most boot camps have high drop-out rates (as many as half fail
to graduate in some programs), and staff in at least one juvenile
program have expressed concern that too many youth lack the maturity
and self-control to succeed in a military-style program. After
leaving boot camp, youth are not prepared for productive lives in
their communities. The Office of Justice Programs of the U.S.
Department of Justice has suggested that, for boot camps to be
effective, they must incorporate a full range of rehabilitative
services and programs, including education, substance abuse
treatment, individualized case management, and mental health care.
Clearly, the idea of "shock incarceration" as a tough, low-cost
alternative to more intensive juvenile justice programming has not
been borne out by our 15 years of experience with boot camps across
the country.
What is the alternative?
Youth who are involved with
the juvenile justice system require an individualized approach that
takes their strengths and needs into account. Programs and policies
should be family-centered, including the family in all decision
making about a child, as well as culturally and developmentally
appropriate. Research has shown that small, community-based programs
are more effective and less costly than correctional institutions,
for the majority of children who come into contact with the juvenile
justice system. Rather than removing children from their families
and communities, which only increases their difficulties and sense
of marginalization, most youth can be managed in their communities
while they receive a full range of rehabilitative services,
including mental health and substance abuse treatment.
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Borque, B., Han, M., & Hill,
S. (1996). A National Survey of Aftercare Provisions for Boot Camp
Graduates. Washington, DC: National Institute of Justice, U.S.
Department of Justice.
Bottcher, J., & Isorena, T.
(1995). First-year evaluation of the California Youth Authority Boot
Camp. In D. MacKenzie & E. Herbert (Eds.), Correctional Boot Camps:
A Tough Intermediate Sanction. Washington, DC: National Institute of
Justice, U.S. Department of Justice.
MacKenzie, D., & Souryal, C.
(1994). Multi-site Evaluation of Shock Incarceration. Washington,
DC: National Institute of Justice, U.S. Department of Justice.
Peters, M., Thomas, D., &
Zamberlan, C. (1997). Boot Camps for Juvenile Offenders Program
Summary. Washington, DC: Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency
Prevention, U.S. Department of Justice.
(c) 2005 National Mental
Health Association. All rights reserved.
http://www.nmha.org/children/justjuv/bootcamp.cfm
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