Encyclopedia of Psychology and Law

who oversee the programs. Money available for pro-

gramming is also an important factor in determining

the type of activities included in the boot camp;

therapeutic programming and aftercare may greatly

increase the cost of the program.

Controversies Over

Juvenile Boot Camps

Boot camps have been controversial since they first

opened. Advocates believe that the strict discipline

and control in these camps is what these youths need.

Many adults who have spent time in the military argue

that this was a life-altering and positive experience for

them, and camps can have the same impact on juve-

nile delinquents. Others point to the fact that the

orderly environment and control help the youths focus

on their problems and make positive changes in their

lives. They believe that these undisciplined youths

will prosper in an environment that requires them to

obey and respect adults.

Critics of boot camps have other concerns. Cor-

rectional psychologists argue that the confrontational

nature of the interactions do not reflect the type of sup-

portive interpersonal interactions that are conducive to

positive change. They maintain that 90 days of verbal

abuse, push-ups, and marching cannot be expected to

address the problems related to addiction, low educa-

tional attainment, or gang membership and other prob-

lems faced by these juveniles. In their opinion, boot

camps do not include components that are associated

with effective correctional treatment, such as therapeu-

tically trained staff and individualized treatment.

Furthermore, military training in the armed forces is

followed up by 2 years or more of service that empha-

sizes the skills learned in basic training. Juvenile boot

camps do not continue to give participants such long-

term follow-up services and treatment.

The Problem of Net Widening

Boot camps appear to be a deceptively seductive alter-

native for youths with behavior problems. Thus, there

is a good chance that low-risk juveniles may be sent to

boot camps when they would otherwise have been

given a community alternative such as probation. This

essentially widens the net of control over juveniles.

Net widening is viewed as a disadvantage because

increased numbers of juveniles are incarcerated in

facilities when there is little advantage in incarcerating

them. There may be little risk that they will commit

future delinquencies. Also, these low-risk youths may

be negatively affected by the programs. From the per-

spectives of both costs and the impact on youths’ lives,

there may be little advantage in widening the net of

control.

Dangers of the Boot

Camp Environment

The rigorous physical activity, confrontational interac-

tions, and summary punishments in boot camps carry

with them the chance of abuse or injury. The environ-

ment is apt to be mentally and physically stressful for

the participants. There have been several deaths in the

juvenile camps, and law cases are pending regarding

responsibility for the deaths. Many people question

whether the dangers of the boot camp atmosphere out-

weigh any benefits of the programs. While physical

activity can be healthy, some of the camps have been

criticized for requiring activities that are beyond the

health status of the participants (e.g., the required long-

distance running for overweight juveniles). This is a

particular concern if the staff has not had adequate

training to be able to determine when juveniles are

experiencing extreme mental or physical stress.

Do Juvenile Boot Camps Work?

The effectiveness of correctional programs can be mea-

sured in many ways. For example, boot camps may

have an impact on the conditions of confinement. From

this perspective, research may investigate whether boot

camps are safer than other facilities or whether they

increase positive changes such as increased educational

attainment or decreased antisocial attitudes. Often the

major interest of policymakers and the public is

whether correctional programs reduce the recidivism or

future criminal activities of participants.

There is some research examining the effectiveness

of correctional boot camps in reducing recidivism.

MacKenzie and her colleagues conducted a meta-

analysis comparing the recidivism of boot camp par-

ticipants with the recidivism of comparison groups. A

meta-analysis is a statistical analysis that uses studies

as the unit of analysis. The meta-analysis of boot

camps included 44 different studies of adult and juve-

nile boot camps. The studies used different measures

of recidivism, including rearrests, reconvictions, and

reincarcerations. For each study, an effect size was

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