What Is The Success Rate Of Juvenile Boot Camps?

Juvenile boot camps garner a good deal of media attention as an alternative to other types of reform programs for youthful offenders. The outcomes and success rates associated with juvenile boot camps is mixed, according to a number of different reports and studies associated with these types of programs.

Time Frame

In analyzing success rates, studies demonstrate that the recidivism rates are lower during the first year a youth completes boot camp as opposed to other programs. The recidivism rate during that first year is as low as 20 percent, according to the National Criminal Justice Reference Service. However, beyond the first year, recidivism rates for youth who went through boot camp or some other juvenile offender program ended up being about the same.

First-Time Offenders

First-time offenders generally experience a higher success rate in a boot camp program than juveniles with at least one prior adjudication, according to National Criminal Justice Reference Service. Indeed, more often than not, only first-time offenders or juveniles with only a prior minor infraction qualify for a boot camp program.

Quick Fix

Overall, experts in the field of juvenile justice deem boot camp programs for youth to be something of a quick fix, according to Boot Camps for Troubled Teens. These programs tend to shock a youthful offender into changing his patterns of conduct. Nonetheless, evidence suggest that the change in behavior tends to be superficial in many cases.

Aftercare

Boot camp programs that enjoy the highest success rates are those that maintain some sort of aftercare or post-camp follow scheme, according to "International Handbook of Juvenile Justice" by Josine Junger-Tas and Scott H. Decker. These types of follow-up programs include substance abuse and mental health counseling as well as educational programming.

Expert Assistance

Parents with a child in the juvenile justice system, who are interested in a boot camp sentence, should consider retaining a lawyer. A qualified attorney is in the best position to ensure that a youthful offender obtains the most appropriate sentence.