NCJ Number
156040
Date Published
1995
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This review of the Washington State experience and national research findings regarding shock incarceration programs concludes that no clear evidence exists that boot camps reduce recidivism and that carefully designed programs can reduce prison crowding but will reduce costs only when boot camps keep offenders a shorter time than they would have spent in prison.
Abstract
The actual daily operating cost per inmate for boot camps exceeds that of prison. Thus, if boot camp is used as an alternative to lower-cost sentencing alternatives such as parole, costs will be increased. The crucial factor in controlling costs lies in the offender selection process, which must ensure that offenders are those who would have otherwise served time in prison. At least 70 boot camps for adult offenders are now operating in State, Federal, and local jails and prisons. Most State programs have incorporated many typical military features such as military titles and protocol, barracks-style housing, drill instructors, grouping in platoons, and summary punishment. However, many boot camps emphasize education, job training, and counseling; the typical State program allocates 20 percent of each day to these programs. Washington's coeducational Work Ethic Camp for adult offenders opened on November 1, 1993; the Juvenile Basic Training Camp is due to open in late 1995. Footnotes 12 references