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Juvenile boot camps

Posted on 03 Jun 2011 by admin | Filled under: national-state-local

Increase juvenile delinquency and engagement in crime has been an issue of concern to many parents and the authority in general. Although juvenile crimes have been there even in the past, they have been increasing at an alarming rate and the intensity of crimes committed has also increased. However the criminal justice system has set up different correction facilities for the juveniles from those used by other convicts. One of such alternative correction for the juveniles is Boot camps. Juvenile Boot camps have been developed along the model of adult Boot camps but they have some special outlook into the needs of juveniles. It is for their effectiveness in correction of juvenile behaviors that boots camps have become increasingly useful in our correction system. This paper will explore juvenile boot camps. It will look into the operations of boot camps and evaluate their rate of success. However, let us first look into the historical development of boot camps.

Juvenile boot camps

The first boot camps were set up in the United States in 1980s as a part of the correction and the penal system. They are either owned by the government or by the private sector. In 1995, the US federal government operated more than 50 Boot camps. Since then there have been increase in boot camps with the entry of the private sector. (Jones, 1994) Currently it is estimated that there are about 50 to 100 boot camps in the United States. Boot camps are the most preferred choice for juveniles who are first time offenders instead of being placed in prisons or on probation. However in some states, juveniles are usually sentenced to participate in boots camps in order to correct their behavior instead of sentencing for a jail term. For example in some cases individuals are sentenced to a term of participation in boot camps for about 90 to 180 days which can substitute a jail term of about 10 years. However the equation of boot camp term and the jail term substituted usually varies with the boot camp facility and the state. In case juvenile offenders are not wiling to serve in boot camps, then they are compelled to serve their jail term. Therefore participation in boot camps is not compulsory and individuals can prefer to serve their original jail term instead. (Cowles, 2005)

The first boot camp was opened in the United States in Georgia and Oklahoma around 1983. The initial set of the boot camps was to maximize the rate of deterrence, reduce the crowding in juvenile prison, to decrease the cost of penal and the correction system, and in order to reduce the rate of recidivism. Boot camps were however supposed to find a middle ground between restrictive prison system and the less strict probation. Boot camps are therefore less restrictive than the system in prisons and harsher than the system in probation.

In the recent past, there had been some disquiet from some parents and juveniles about their life in juvenile camps. It is argued that some boots camps have been exposing juvenile to harsh military training exposing them to various dangers which they may not be prepared for. For example in 2006, boot camps were banned in Florida following the death of Lee Anderson who was fourteen old. It was reveled that the boy was killed by a drill instructor although the mystery behind his death remains a subject of speculation. The fact that Lee Anderson was forced to continue with the physical exercise long after he had collapsed showed that there were some serious safety issues regarding the activities going on in boots camps. Boot camps remain a choice not only for the government but also for many parents to correct the behavior of juveniles.

Life in boot camps

The boot camps have been modeled along the model of the military camps and they offer correction programs with shock incarceration based on military training techniques. They are therefore aimed at instilling strict discipline like in military.

The initial state of juvenile boot camps was to provide and institution where juvenile would achieve behavior modification and at the same time continue to pursue their drams like education and growth. Therefore they were meant for the troubled juveniles in term of their behavior and those who had committed crimes. These are the two groups of juvenile who are targeted by the boot camps.

This means the boots camps are likely to expose juveniles to military exercise which include physical training which focus on the reality, respect and taking up of responsibility. (Boot camps, 2008) Research has proved the many our teens usually lack these important qualities which they require in order to make a successful transition from their childhood to adulthood.