NCJ Number
160928
Date Published
1996
Length
164 pages
Annotation
An experimental juvenile boot camp program established in Cleveland in 1992 was evaluated with respect to the extent to which youth received the prescribed services, short-term benefits of participation in the program, recidivism, and cost-effectiveness.
Abstract
The program included a highly structured 3-month residential program, followed by 6-9 months of community- based aftercare during which youth pursued academic and vocational training or employment while under intensive but gradually reduced supervision. The evaluation revealed that boot camp youth were more likely to recidivate than control youth. The exploratory analyses also suggested that youth with serious previous offenses but no previous commitment with the Ohio Department of Youth Services may benefit most from boot camp. Findings also suggested the benefits of helping youth find a job during aftercare and that a program component focusing on preventing continued drug-related activities might reduce the strong link between previous and subsequent drug-related offenses. Findings also indicated that providing treatment services in boot camp is considerably less expensive than in traditional institutional settings, mainly because of shorter relative periods of confinements. Findings suggested the desirability of narrowing the eligible youth pool and refining selection criteria. Additional findings, figures, tables, and footnotes