NCJ Number
164891
Date Published
1996
Length
37 pages
Annotation
The first boot camp for juvenile delinquents in Florida opened in March 1993 in Manatee County, as one of several programs operated by the Florida Department of Justice.
Abstract
A total of 63 recruits entered Manatee County's boot camp between March and September of 1993. The typical recruit was a 16-year-old male, there was a fairly even distribution of black and white recruits, and recruits averaged 14.5 delinquency referrals prior to boot camp admission. The largest proportion of them were committed for felony property offenses, with burglary being the most frequent offense. Excluding five recruits who were removed for medical reasons or previous charges, the boot camp completion rate was 100 percent. Recruits earned an average of 3.7 high school credits while in boot camp, and an additional 2.6 credits during aftercare. Average scores on the Test of Basic Adult Education increased by almost two grade levels during boot camp, and 71 percent of recruits graduated from the boot camp in 4 months as scheduled. The average length of stay, including graduates returned to boot camp for noncompliance with aftercare rules, totaled 158 days. Boot camp graduates who were successfully terminated from aftercare averaged 9 months of aftercare services, 40 percent of graduates successfully completed aftercare, 87 percent of recruits who successfully completed aftercare were employed at the time of their release, and 74 percent of recruits were rearrested within 1 year of graduation from boot camp. Boot camp graduates were most likely to be rearrested for felony property offenses, and most rearrests occurred within 5 months of graduation from boot camp. Boot camp graduates were more likely to receive juvenile sanctions and less likely to receive adult sanctions than youths in a comparison group. Changes that have occurred in Manatee County's boot camp program since 1993 are described. Additional information on the characteristics and performance of boot camp graduates is appended. 20 tables and 5 figures