NCJ Number
209824
Journal
International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology Volume: 49 Issue: 3 Dated: June 2005 Pages: 325-342
Date Published
June 2005
Length
18 pages
Annotation
This study of 300 female and 300 male graduates of a boot camp in the Midwest focused on gender difference related to length of time in the community without recidivism over a 5-year period.
Abstract
Under the eligibility criteria for the boot camp, all participants were first-time referrals to the adult correctional system in the State, were sentenced to 10 or fewer years, had no recorded violent offenses as adults, had an IQ above 70, and had no physical or psychological problems. The Department of Corrections number assigned to each inmate allowed researchers to determine whether boot camp graduates had any arrests or parole violations during the 5-year follow-up. All of the inmates were on parole after release from boot camp for the duration of their sentence. For almost all graduates, parole lasted at least 3 years. The majority of the measures in the study were obtained from the Multiple-Problem Screening Inventory (MPSI). Subscales used in this study were Relations With Friends, Partner Relations, Family-of-Origin Relations, Work Satisfaction, Depression, Aggression, Fearfulness, Suicidal Thoughts, Alcohol Abuse, and Drug Abuse. Gender differences were found in the variables related to recidivism. For the women, sexual and physical abuse before the age of 18 and in the past 2 years, as well as selling drugs were more potent predictors of recidivism than for men. Changes in adverse feelings during boot camp, with the exception of aggression and suicidal thoughts, also were more robust predictors of recidivism for women than for men. Race, recent sexual and physical abuses, living with a criminal partner, depression, fearfulness, and satisfaction with friendships were the only insignificant predictors of recidivism among men. The most powerful predictors of recidivism for men were dissatisfaction with their jobs, criminal peer associations, and increases in aggression during the boot camp program. The author questions whether the boot camp regimen may aggravate rather than mitigate some of the factors related to recidivism for both men and women. 3 tables, 1 figure, and 60 references