The program objectives included reducing jail crowding, reducing costs, and reducing recidivism. This evaluation study of the RID program entailed both process and impact evaluation components and a quasi-experimental design was used to assess the degree to which program objectives were being met. A group of 544 inmates admitted to the boot camp portion of RID were compared to 216 offenders who volunteered for RID but were not referred to the program by the courts. RID offenders were primarily young minority males, poorly educated, with fairly substantial prior criminal and drug involvement. Fully 80 percent of admitted inmates successfully completed the boot camp after spending an average of 91 days in the program. Tested grade level improvements over the course of boot camp participation were also impressive. However, the evaluation concluded that the RID program failed to meet its objectives in terms of reducing jail overcrowding, costs, or recidivism rates. Local jurisdictions considering establishing a boot camps should establish realistic goals, pretest selection criteria prior to implementation, limit program length, establish a strong aftercare component, and evaluate program operations and effectiveness. 20 tables, 2 figures, 3 exhibits, 2 appendixes, and 32 references
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