to or given permission to speak. There is a rigorous daily
schedule of activities. Strict rules govern all facets of the
juveniles’ activities and comportment. They are required
to respond immediately to staff commands. Rule viola-
tions are punished immediately, referred to as summary
punishments, often with some physical activity (e.g.,
pushups, running laps). If they do not comply with the
rules of the program, the juveniles may be required to
serve a longer period of time in another type of juvenile
detention facility.A Day in a Boot Camp
On a typical day in a boot camp, participants arise
before dawn, dress quickly, and march in cadence to
an exercise area, where they do calisthenics and other
physical exercise. They return to their dormitory for
quick showers and then march to the dining hall for
breakfast. After breakfast, they may practice drill and
ceremony until they march to their classrooms for the
required educational activities. Later in the day, they
may have other classroom activities such as cognitive
skills training or drug treatment. Before dinner, they
may again be required to practice drill and ceremony
or participate in additional physical exercise. Evenings
may include additional therapeutic programming or
required homework. They are not permitted to watch
television unless it is an educational program, nor do
they have access to radios, other musical devices, or
computer games.
Strict rules exist at mealtimes. Participants are
required to stand at parade rest when the serving line
is not moving and execute crisp military movements
and turns when the line does move. They are often
required to approach the table and stand at attention
until ordered to sit and eat. Frequently, they must eat
without conversation.The Development of
Correctional Boot Camps
Boot camps began in the adult correctional systems of
Georgia and Oklahoma in the early 1980s. By the
early 1990s, there were more than 21 programs for
adults in 14 state correctional systems. Juvenile boot
camps developed in the late 1980s. By the mid-1990s,
approximately 35 juvenile boot camps were operat-
ing. The number of camps keeps varying because
some of the old camps have closed down while other
new camps have opened.Several factors account for the rapid growth of cor-
rectional boot camps. One important influence was
the conservative political climate of the 1980s.
Politicians felt the need to be tough on crime. Many
sanctions appeared to be “soft” on the criminal. Boot
camps were a different story. Boot camps appealed to
the “gut instincts” of a public that wanted criminals
punished swiftly and harshly in a place where they
were required to respect authority and obey rules.
Another important factor influencing the rapid
development of the camps was the media. Boot camps
provided powerful visual images of juveniles snap-
ping to attention in response to staff members. The
tough drill sergeant yelling at the young street thug
made great television for a public that wanted to get
tough responses to crime. It was ideal for the 60-second
feature in the evening news.Differences in Boot Camps
Juvenile boot camps have changed dramatically over
time. The biggest change was in the move away from
an emphasis on the basic training model. The first boot
camps emphasized the basic military training with strict
rules and discipline, physical training, and hard labor.
Later, the camps began to emphasize other aspects such
as education, leadership training, drug treatment, or
cognitive skills. In fact, many of the camps no longer
referred to themselves as “boot camps.” They used a
variety of other names for the programs, such as lead-
ership academy, leadership development, highly struc-
tured program for juveniles, or challenge program.
While these programs still had strict rules and disci-
pline, physical training, and drill and ceremony, they
placed a greater focus on leadership, education, and
other therapeutic activities.
Camps differ greatly in the amount of time devoted
to different activities. Some still emphasize basic train-
ing, and the juveniles spend a great deal of time in
physical training and drill and ceremony. Other camps
focus on therapeutic activities such as drug treatment,
cognitive skills training, vocational training, or educa-
tion, and the daily schedule reflects this emphasis.
Furthermore, the follow-up supervision and aftercare
vary among camps. Some have a long-term aftercare
program with therapeutic activities, other camps may
have intensive supervision, and others may have little
follow-up supervision or care. These differences
depend, in part, on the philosophy of those who man-
age the programs or the correctional administratorsJuvenile Boot Camps——— 429J-Cutler (Encyc)-45463.qxd 11/18/2007 12:43 PM Page 429