NCJ Number
147447
Date Published
1992
Length
92 pages
Annotation
This report on the evaluation of South Carolina's shock incarceration program focuses on its achievement of prison- population reduction and cost savings.
Abstract
Shock incarceration programs or boot camp prisons are corrections programs modeled after military boot camps. Offenders in these programs spend a relatively short time in prison and are then supervised in the community. During their incarceration, participants are separated from the other prison inmates and are required to participate in military drill and physical training. The South Carolina Department of Corrections currently operates a 192-bed shock incarceration unit for males at its Wateree River Correctional Institution, called the Thames Shock Incarceration Unit (TSIU) and a 24-bed shock incarceration unit for females at their Women's Correctional Center, called the women's shock Incarceration Unit (WSIU). While in the shock incarceration program, offenders between the ages of 17 and 25 are confined for approximately 90 days, during which time the offender participates in an intensive program of discipline, work, strenuous physical activities, and programs. When offenders complete the program, they are paroled and supervised in the community. This report provides information on the placement process, characteristics and demographics of offenders who participated in the program, the program's effectiveness in reducing prison crowding, and the program's cost. The evaluation examined the program's operation between June 1990 and October 31, 1991. During this period, 8,542 offenders were screened for possible program placement. Of this number, 777 offenders met the eligibility criteria, and 723 were accepted into the program. Of this number, 91 percent had already been sentenced to prison. A total of 477 offenders completed the program, 67 failed the program, and 179 were still active in the program at the end of the evaluation period. Of the offenders who completed the program, their length of incarceration was reduced by 248 days. The average daily cost per male offender in the TSIU was $28.68, compared to $34.11 as an average for all inmates. The average daily cost per female offender in the WSIU was $63.04, which is much higher than the cost average. Still, because of the shortened incarceration period, there was a cost savings. Recommendations for program improvement are offered. 29 tables, appended survey of States, and a copy of the enabling legislation for shock incarceration programs.