Effective evaluation begins with planning. To assess the program s successes and failures, quantifiable data should be collected about participation in treatment by juveniles in the boot camp and in the control group. Measures of program success should include a broad spectrum of outcomes. Recidivism measures should capture all subsequent delinquent activity, not simply the first new adjudication, and data on new offenses should include information on the origin and circumstances of the complaint to determine whether there is a monitoring effect, in which the intensity of the supervision causes an increase in recorded offending. When boot camps are used as an alternative to confinement, savings can be achieved.
Communities often implement juvenile boot camps, in part, to reduce costs.
The experience of the pilot sites indicates that when boot camps are used as an alternative to traditional confinement, costs can be reduced considerably because of the significantly shorter residential stay. However, if boot camps are used as an alternative to probation, savings will not be realized. For Further Information Jurisdictions considering or operating a juvenile boot camp may receive technical assistance from the National Institute of Corrections. This assistance is available without regard to whether the jurisdiction is receiving, or contemplating applying for, Federal funding.