Read the following question and response agree or disagree.

1. Policymakers are forced into the position of always having to play the public relations game. Organizing and implementing boot camps for eligible individuals instead of just throwing them into jail should generally be a more popular option among the public. This is mainly because people often associate time in jail as time that an individual is being unproductive, or more of a burden. Boot camps not only make individuals more productive, they also help individual offenders avoid the stigma of having been in prison. To a policy maker this is a potential goldmine for public support. Indeed there are other options that could potentially produce the same end but with different means. Sentencing an individual to a boot camp type situation is considerably more costly than sentencing an individual to a probation type setting. Recidivism was also found to be similar among individuals sentenced to boot camps or sentenced to probation. Clearly the end that policy makers are looking for is a reduced rate of recidivism and rehabilitation. If boot camps are costing a ton more money and not really doing much better of a job at reducing recidivism, then perhaps we need to instead focus our attention and resources to enhancing the probation system within the United States and less attention on more expensive boot camps.

2. Scared straight, a wonderful idea on paper. Many politicians and citizens like the idea of instilling respect, discipline, and structure into the lives of youth who appear to be devoid of such virtues. The idea has roots in thoughts of sending misbehaving children to boarding school or shipping them off to the military where they will learn respect and discipline and blossom into productive adults within the confines of society. I believe these factors of scaring children straight, instilling respect, teamwork, discipline, and obedience to authority, made boot camps a popular idea. From studies I’ve read that have reviewed the efficacy of boot camps and our text, these camps do not seem overly effective. Alarid (2015) notes that only 5 to 6 studies out of 30 have shown significant reductions in recidivism. Boot camps are also costly when compared to other methods of community sanctions. Alarid (2015) also details that the most effective boot camps are those that combine cognitive behavioral therapy with normative boot camp routines. It would appear that using methods that focused on therapy and addressed specific needs/risks of participants would prove to be both more effective and cost efficient, rather than lumping a bunch of kids into the same routine and program. Boot camps, particularly stand-alone facilities, utilize a net widening approach that swallows up offenders who might receive lesser punishment (Alarid, 2015). The opportunity for abuse by staff also another risk associated with boot camps that can result in coercion, physical abuse, and unnecessary stress on camp participants. Alarid, 2015).There is a reason these boot camps are fading and it is related to the combination of marginal (if at all) efficacy, issues of abuse, and an inherent costly nature. Probationary sanctions that are tailored to client risks/needs and focus on treatment can be more effective and worth-while than boot camps.

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1 I agree with the response that has been argued above Looking at boot camps they have been effectiv... View the full answer