NCJ Number
119859
Journal
Federal Probation Volume: 53 Issue: 3 Dated: (September 1989) Pages: 15-20
Date Published
1989
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Prison "boot camps," which are also called shock incarceration, are not the best response to the problems of improving offenders' lives and reducing recidivism, and these programs add to the fiction that short-term panaceas can solve significant social problems.
Abstract
At least eight States now have these programs and at least eight more soon will have them. They put convicted offenders through a program of strict discipline and military-style drills, usually for a period of 90 to 120 days. Shock incarceration emphasizes discipline and purports to have the same results as military recruit training with respect to developing positive attitudes toward authority and providing physical conditioning. However, they have not been shown to have advantages over other approaches in terms of costs, outcomes, and other factors. In addition, corrections officials are concerned about the programs because of the potential for abuse. Moreover, most evaluations have shown that gains are often short-term unless followup services are provided. Finally, these programs are often underfunded, sometimes underused or poorly implemented, clearly untested, and mostly incomplete efforts to provide full correctional programs for young offenders. Despite the media hype, no evidence shows that shock incarceration works any more than scared straight or shock probation worked to any great degree. Most experts agree that without the help of the family and without addressing underlying social problems, the effects of shock incarceration are unlikely to last. Footnotes.