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Juvenile boot camps: A descriptive analysis of program diversity and effectiveness
Abstract
Juvenile boot camps have proliferated since the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention’s three pilot programs in 1992. Programs differ in numerous aspects, including: how strictly they adhere to the original military model; the background and age of juveniles accepted; the length of the camps; capacity; cost per juvenile; amount and type of aftercare; and, recidivism rates. Insufficient data exist to make definitive judgments as to effectiveness, but a survey of the literature shows that they are considerably less effective than the public believes. The original idea for adult boot camps incorporated goals of a cost-efficient alternative to incarceration and reduction in recidivism. Juvenile boot camps usually are more costly than most other traditional options, and with rare exceptions recidivism rates are extremely disappointing. Boot camps could prove to be a valuable tool in juvenile justice, but stricter assessment and evaluation methods as well as better aftercare are needed before these politically appealing programs constitute an effective method of diminishing juvenile delinquency.
... Since that time, the popularity of boot camp programs for juveniles has been increasing. However, the considerable proliferation of juvenile boot camps has accelerated after the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention established pilot programs in 1992 (Tyler, Darville, and Stalnaker, 2001) because pilot programs were evaluated as successful to rehabilitate the youth and to deter the future crimes. In addition, the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 set aside funds to establish alternative incarceration methods including boot camps (Simon, 1995). ...
... A National Institute of Justice report explains the increase of juvenile boot camps in the nation. According to the statistics, thirty-three states established more than seventy-five juvenile boot camp programs by 1997 and the number is increasing every year (Tyler et al., 2001). However, if private camps founded by local jurisdictions are taken into account, then the number becomes much higher. ...
... However, they found no evidence that correctional boot camps reduce crime or recidivism rates. Tyler et al. (2001) conducted research by analyzing media news and government reports about boot camps. In addition, they interviewed selected people in the Texas juvenile justice system. ...
Militaristic boot camps became very popular in the U.S. in the early 1990's as an alternative to traditional prisons and probation. Less recidivism and less cost were the shibboleths of correctional boot camps. The boot camps are believed to reduce the number of repeat offenders and to lower operational costs. The rehabilitation programs and aftercare activities are thought to bring ongoing changes in inmates' behaviors. Therefore, boot camps are strongly supported by politicians and the public. Tax dollars are spent to operate the boot camps. However, despite the fact that only two decades have passed since the existence of juvenile boot camps, numerous studies have declared that juvenile boot camp prisons are ineffective in reducing future offenses of inmates, operational costs, and in continually changing the behaviors of young offenders.
... Although prerequisites vary from programme to programme and from state to state, those who committed no violent criminal offence for the first time may participate in the boot camp programme. By age, generally a wider age range of 10 to 25 years can be considered, [1] but each programme may contain a tighter age range as large difference in the participants' age provides an opportunity for the elders to commit physical abuse to the detriment of the youngers within the camp, [7] consequently this is not recommended. Furthermore, there are camps where age conditions are stricter and participation under 16 is not even allowed because the military drill employed there is overly burdensome for the younger ones. ...
Many pros and cons arguments can be read about boot camps in terms of efficiency and application. My article reviews tragedies and deaths occurred in juvenile boot camps processing their background and causes. It is not my purpose to present boot camps in a negative light but to reveal circumstances of tragedies and on the basis of this to prevent their re-occurrence.
... More recently, many boot camps have evolved to try to address these problems and better meet the needs of their clients, modifying their programs to include counseling and other more rehabilitative components, decreased emphasis on confrontation and harsh discipline, and an increased focus on aftercare services. These changes have led many observers to conclude that more modern boot camp programs may be more effective than the early versions (e.g., MacKenzie & Rosay, 2004;Tyler, Darville, & Stalnaker, 2001;Wells, Minor, Angel, & Stearman, 2006). Nonetheless, we suggest that NGYCPs-despite their utility in many domains for at-risk youth in general-may be challenging for vulnerable youth with emerging symptoms of mental and behavioral disorders such as BPD, and that these youth may be in need of additional intervention and support to succeed both in the program and after graduation. ...
Recent calls to action rightly emphasize the need for early and preventative intervention for youth at risk for or currently exhibiting borderline personality disorder (BPD) features, nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI), and/or suicidality. However, there is a lack of information in both the research literature and clinical practice guidelines about the acceptability and effectiveness of such interventions for male youth, particularly those who have dropped out of high school and, thus, are at even greater risk for a multitude of adverse psychological and functional outcomes. The current study aims to address this gap by examining the acceptability and pilot efficacy of a modified Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents (DBT-A) skills training group intervention among a sample of 73 non-treatment-seeking male youth (aged 16–18) with borderline personality features, self-harm, or suicidal ideation who had dropped out of high school and were enrolled in a military-style residential program (relative to youth participating in the residential program alone). Both quantitative and qualitative feedback from youth point to the high acceptability of DBT-A skills training with this population. Within-subjects and between-groups comparisons support the preliminary efficacy of DBT-A skills training with this population. At posttreatment, participants reported statistically significant decreases in emotion regulation (ER) difficulties (d = 0.43) and increases in distress tolerance (d = -0.50). Further, compared to a similar group of male youth who did not receive DBT-A skills training, those who received skills training showed greater improvements in ER difficulties, albeit not distress tolerance. Data from this pilot trial provide preliminary support for the efficacy of brief, stand-alone DBT-A skills training in improving ER difficulties in a high-risk group of male youth.
... In this same statement Bleijie said 'but we are also committed to giving young offenders a chance to turn their lives around' (2013). The rehabilitative promise Bleijie extended here referred only to the introduction of boot camps in Qld, despite a wealth of criminological evidence that boot camps have no discernable impact on recidivism (Parent, 2003;Tyler et al., 2001;MacKenzie et al., 2001;Bottcher and Ezell, 2005) and, rather, that they may cause children trauma and compromise their chances of rehabilitation (Muscar 2008;Lilienfeld, 2007). ...
Recent practices in the administration of youth justice across Australian state and territory jurisdictions reveal a powerful tension between the punitive imperative of "tough on crime" political populism, and internationally agreed minimum standards relevant to the treatment of children. In questioning the extent to which human rights standards can and should be used as a useful tool to counter punitive youth justice practices, this article identifies major points of discrepancy between Australia's international legal obligations and the doctrine and operation of domestic criminal law as it applies to children in conflict with the law. Examining youth justice "crises" in two Australian states, the Northern Territory and Victoria, the article concludes that while child rights are not directly justiciable in Australia, global standards on youth justice provide a unifying discourse that is resistant to the vagaries of populism, and which can guide reform for child rights compliant youth justice legislation and practice.
... These models are still popular in the United States after being promoted by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention following pilot studies. However, a number of recent reviews have suggested that these are ineffective (Benda, 2005;Stinchcomb, 2005;Tyler, Darville, & Stalnaker, 2001). Early studies in New Zealand have also shown that even when offenders showed increased levels of compliance, following the intervention results was short lived: 50% reconvicted within a year and 70% within 3 years (Department of Justice, 1971). ...
Public perceptions of crime and punishment have taken on increasing importance as countries grapple with how to address youth violence. The current study aimed to compare the views of those who have had personal experience of victimisation from youth offenders and those who have not, on what could be improved in managing youth offending in New Zealand. A qualitative methodology was used with data from open-ended survey responses from a nationally representative sample. Public sentiments favoured addressing systemic issues and providing rehabilitation as main emphases followed by more punitive measures, prevention, and restorative justice. Victims were over-represented on sentiments of prevention whereas non-victims were over-represented in support for more punitive measures and restorative justice. There was also considerable support for a multi-facetted approach that utilised a number of the approaches above, suggesting that the solution is as complex as the offender’s circumstances. These findings are very much in line with the current goals of the youth justice system with its emphasis on diversion and rehabilitation.
... Harsh, militarystyle shock incarceration, socalled boot camps, are still popular for young offenders in the USA, where they were promoted by the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention in 1992, when three pilot programmes were set up. However, several reviews have concluded that they are ineffective (Tyler et al, 2001;Benda, 2005;Cullen et al, 2005;Stinchcomb, 2005), as did an RCT by the California Youth Authority in which long term arrest data found no difference between boot camp and standard custody and parole (Bottcher & Ezell, 2005). In contrast, a metaanalysis of 28 studies of wilderness programmes found a small overall effect size, with recidivism rates of 29% v. 37% for controls (Wilson & Lipsey, 2000). ...
Childhood conduct disorder casts a long shadow over adulthood, often leading to antisocial personality, drug misuse, increased rates of psychosis and earlier death. This article reviews a range of effective treatments, and shows what is ineffective. The common theme underlying interventions that work is that they change the environment around the young person, with parent training emerging as the most effective. Medication is largely ineffective. The task now is to enable more of these interventions to be available at a reasonably early age.
... For example, the abolition of school uniforms has been debated between stakeholders and the Ministry of Education in Thailand on several occasions. There are preliminary plans from the Minister of Education to send delinquent students from vocational colleges to boot camps for disciplinary practice, which is of concern given U.S. studies that have demonstrated that boot camps are largely ineffective (e.g., Tyler et al. 2001). Although this is a small-scale study, the analysis may usefully inform these debates. ...
Physical violence in Bangkok schools has been the subject of considerable public concern in recent years and yet relatively little is known about the nature of violence perpetrated by vocational college students. This study sought to understand the reasons for such violence through a series of semi-structured interviews with 32 male students. The analysis identified revenge from previous fights as a key motivation for violence. Students described a range of different responses to threats of violence, including renting safe accommodation and concealing weapons. These findings are discussed in relation to how an understanding of cross-cultural risk factors for violence is important for the development of effective prevention strategies.
... 5. The majority of writing on boot camps emanates from the fields of psychology, criminal justice and sport and recreational science, and focuses on comparing, contrasting and evaluating programmes by profiling clientele, quantifying recidivism rates of clients and client well-being post intervention, assessing types of after-programme care and calculating programme costs (for example, Bottcher and Ezell 2005;Rami and Kahan 2004;Russell 2005;Sklar, Anderson, and Autry 2007;Tyler, Darville, and Stalnaker 2001). ...
The majority of the still limited literature on education in non-metropolitan areas adopts an understanding of rurality as a fixed and known geographic entity. This paper departs from such a functionalist perspective to explore how rurality is constructed in a programme for at-risk teenagers in remote Australia. Drawing on a range of texts about the programme, including a documentary series entitled Outback Kids, we examine how the rural space is imagined as simultaneously therapeutic and disciplining and therefore appropriate for troubled youth. Alongside this discussion we map the way in which other qualities and values associated with bifurcated definitions of the rural as a place of tradition and authenticity, and the urban as a place of disorder and pretence, are engaged in the texts to endorse the programme and its practices.
... However, most of this work has concerned the mandatory and "extensively rigorous" exercise programs used in juvenile boot camps, as opposed to completely voluntary programs where the right to participate must be earned. This research has shown that boot camps are less effective than the public believes, and studies have generally failed to establish a link between exercise regiments and beneficial effects on juveniles required to participate in them (Correia 1997;Morash and Rucker 1990;Tyler, Darville, and Stalnaker 2001;Van Vleet 1999). It is important here to note the difference in the effects of boot camps and mandatory exercise regiments versus voluntary physical exercise and exercise programs in which the right to participate must be earned. ...
There are very few evidence-based interventions specifically for violent behavior in children and adolescents. However, interventions for antisocial behavior problems have shown some efficacy in violence reduction and are reviewed in detail in this chapter. Effective interventions attempt to target established risk factors and a number of these are outlined, including early onset of antisocial behavior, callous-unemotional traits, poor regulation of anger, family factors and peer influences. The implications of these risk factors for intervention approaches is explored and basic principles of intervention described. The chapter then describes specific interventions, for both children and adolescents, and reviews the evidence on their efficacy. It provides detailed descriptions of some of the most promising interventions using different approaches, in particular those for adolescents, and identifies interventions that have been shown not to work. The chapter concludes with a review of the current evidence base for interventions with children and adolescents with callous-unemotional traits.
Crowded juvenile correctional centers, escalating costs of confinement, and high rates of recidivism have renewed interest in bringing innovative ideas to juvenile aftercare philosophy, practice, and programming. This program summary details an Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention initiative designed to assist public and private corrections agencies in developing and implementing effective aftercare approaches for chronic juvenile offenders who initially require secure confinement. This manual tries to provide the reader with a clear sense of how program elements and components are structured and how they function. Underlying principles offer a sufficient, sound, and understandable "blueprint" from which program design can proceed. The Intensive Aftercare Program (IAP) was designed to address: (1) identified, need-related risk factors associated with reoffending juveniles; (2) the set of ancillary program services that focus on other needs and problems of high-risk juvenile parolees; and (3) surveillance and monitoring objectives. With it, the juvenile justice system can begin to confront multifaceted circumstances part of the dynamics of recidivism. The theory-driven, empirically based IAP model is designed to: provide public protection; operate with limited resources; and be tailored to different jurisdictions that are trying to confront, hold accountable, and treat their own high risk parolees. (JBJ)
Thesis (M.A.)--Sam Houston State University, 1998. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 130-135). Vita.
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