NCJ Number
160927
Date Published
1996
Length
111 pages
Annotation
An experimental juvenile boot camp program that operated in Denver, Colo. from April 1992 through March 1994 was evaluated with respect to the comparability of youth in the boot camp and a control group, the rate of successful completion, the extent to which youth received the prescribed services, 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 were involved in academic and vocational training or employment while under intensive but gradually reduced supervision. The evaluation revealed that the boot camp model prescribed by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention was not fully implemented. The residential phase was relatively stable, but the instructional component was diluted by the loss of and inability to replace one of two educational staff. The aftercare component had some relative success with the first six cohorts, but produced no graduates after that. The aftercare program was understaffed, service provision was limited, and service coordination was poor. The recidivism rate was comparable for experimental and control groups. The cost per day and cost per offender were less for the boot camp residential phase than for regular confinement. The program closed in March 1994, so no further evaluation is not recommended. Additional conclusions, figures, and tables