Juvenile boot camps: a descriptive analysis of program diversity and effectiveness

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.