Are Boot Camps Effective for Juvenile Offenders?
chris cornett
English 1302
November 15, 2012
Are Boot Camps and Scared Straight Programs Effective for Juvenile Offenders?
Boot camps were introduced in Louisiana in 1985 and dealt with juvenile offenders in the Orleans Parish. From existence of boot camps there has been major criticism and controversy on the issue. In 1954 a congressional bill was passed funding crime prevention in the states. 30 billion dollars were set aside for the crime bill and 8 billion was directed for funding prisons and boot camps. This bill contributed to a rapid number of boot camp programs in the U.S. After these significant events boot camp took a turn for the worse. Reports started to circulate claiming that young inmates were being mistreated and abused, in some cases even resulting to death. In 1998 The Justice Department released a critical report exploring three Georgia boot camps. The report found evidence that camp staff members had physically abused young inmates by placing them in chokeholds and throwing them into walls and did not provide the proper treatment for disabled and emotional disturbed children. The report resulted in Georgia’s decision to phase out of the boot camp system. The state of Maryland followed Georgia’s decision after The Baltimore Sun Newspaper documented abuse and high recidivism rates among former boot camp participants. Nearly one-third of all boot camps were shut down in 2002. In 2006 a teen by the name of Martin Lee Anderson died in a Florida boot camp after being beaten and abused for several days. Anderson was forced to inhale ammonia and died the following day; Martin’s family was awarded a five million dollar settlement. After Anderson’s death critics intensified their calls for having boot camps shut down. Boot camps and scared straight programs have become popular again after the hit TV show Beyond Scared Straight premiered on A&E aiming to keep today’s at risk teens from being tomorrow’s prisoners. American parents have given up
English 1302
November 15, 2012
Are Boot Camps and Scared Straight Programs Effective for Juvenile Offenders?
Boot camps were introduced in Louisiana in 1985 and dealt with juvenile offenders in the Orleans Parish. From existence of boot camps there has been major criticism and controversy on the issue. In 1954 a congressional bill was passed funding crime prevention in the states. 30 billion dollars were set aside for the crime bill and 8 billion was directed for funding prisons and boot camps. This bill contributed to a rapid number of boot camp programs in the U.S. After these significant events boot camp took a turn for the worse. Reports started to circulate claiming that young inmates were being mistreated and abused, in some cases even resulting to death. In 1998 The Justice Department released a critical report exploring three Georgia boot camps. The report found evidence that camp staff members had physically abused young inmates by placing them in chokeholds and throwing them into walls and did not provide the proper treatment for disabled and emotional disturbed children. The report resulted in Georgia’s decision to phase out of the boot camp system. The state of Maryland followed Georgia’s decision after The Baltimore Sun Newspaper documented abuse and high recidivism rates among former boot camp participants. Nearly one-third of all boot camps were shut down in 2002. In 2006 a teen by the name of Martin Lee Anderson died in a Florida boot camp after being beaten and abused for several days. Anderson was forced to inhale ammonia and died the following day; Martin’s family was awarded a five million dollar settlement. After Anderson’s death critics intensified their calls for having boot camps shut down. Boot camps and scared straight programs have become popular again after the hit TV show Beyond Scared Straight premiered on A&E aiming to keep today’s at risk teens from being tomorrow’s prisoners. American parents have given up