NCJ Number
147124
Journal
Corrections Today Volume: 56 Issue: 1 Dated: (February 1994) Pages: 48-54
Date Published
1994
Length
7 pages
Annotation
Shock incarceration programs, also known as boot camps, are receiving attention as a viable means of providing drug treatment and education to young, male offenders.
Abstract
Boot camps are designed to save correctional resources by reducing time served while providing adequate punishment through a quasi-military environment that often incorporates rehabilitative programming. This article describes the curricula and drug treatment programs developed in Illinois, New York, Texas, Florida, and South Carolina. Program characteristics that have been associated with successful treatment include length, structure, and flexibility. A prison boot camp that provides drug treatment should include at least three months of treatment directed by trained individuals who are not required to adopt the military demeanor. The in-prison phase should be followed by an intensive community supervision program. Programs will be most successful if participants are carefully screened and programs are continually evaluated. 3 references