Located in a rural area near Caruthers, the residential camp uses a military-style program to reform nonviolent youthful offenders. Its capacity has grown to 200 boys since it opened Dec. 5, 1997. The camp was created partly in response to a sharp rise in juvenile crime during the early and mid-1990s. The daily routine would be familiar to any military veteran. The boys sleep in open barracks, clean their own latrines and store their gear in wall lockers.
School is central to the rehabilitative process.
At night, the cadets attend more classes, among them victim-awareness lectures. Gang members must balance a paper cup on their heads wherever they go. Schooling is central to rehabilitation at the boot camp. The boys spend up to seven months at Elkhorn, less if they get their act together sooner. If there is a common theme to the stories of many Elkhorn cadets, it's their contempt for the county's Juvenile Hall.