can prison boot camps reform young defenders?
86653
Do you mean "young offenders" or "young defendants?"\n\nBoot camps work for a certain type of kid, who needs to build confidence in themselves to get involved in something more wholesome than whatever got them into the court system.  They toughen up physically and also mentally.  However, toughness is one of the problems for some kids, so care must be taken.  Also, some kids really are too fragile in health or emotional stability to stand up to the boot camp's demands.  One more failure is not a good idea for these kids.
811853
I spent 20 months in Prison in Oklahoma. All programs are faith based,(God) - at a lower level of incarceration- community level, if you are chosen - like 15 out of 150 to be helped, you will be put in a drug program, if your lucky. Even though church and state should be separated, in Prison it is not. Because God is all you have and not much else. This is the bible belt they say, but you know I learned not to break the law ever again and it was God that helped me through those 20 months of noise, fights, homosexual activity I could have lived witout seeing all of that. You have to sleep with all of the noise and the lights on. It is the worst thing you could ever imagine living through. It's been a year now - as of yesterday. My thoughts looking back. All of the children that don't have their Mothers and that is the saddest part.
497930
I answered in your initial question, and will gladly answer anything I can. \nI have a high school sweetheart, a baby brother, a dear friend and a pen pal in the system and have, in their causes, become an advocate for the protection of basic inmate rights (No, I don't think it should be summer camp, but the law requires humane & sanitary conditions and consistant application of policy and THAT is what I try to see upheld)I am also involved in a website you may find useful, http://www.prisontalk.com\nIf you'd like to get information straight from the horses mouth, may I suggest that you create a questionaire and send it to inmates at a few different facilities?\nHere is a good place to find leads if that idea appeals to you. http://prisontalk.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&daysprune=-1&f=294
898282
The US did this in WWII for small time offenders.  The judges gave them a choice, jail or join the militay.  Sounds like a great idea.\n\nWhy a thumbs down, its true.
835025
Sometimes one solution works and sometimes the other. The guards like to play with human life and the survivor must trust his instinct at all times.  I would suggest the naked prisoner prays for an answer.
733565
We can't use the Army like this.  I know we all make jokes about the Army but they are highly trained professional soldiers and are the best in the world.  What we could do is have boot camps of the style seen on Bad Lads Army on ITV staffed by ex Army personnel.  This could start with drumming some discipline and respect into them and follow on with vocational training.
618510
ABSOLUTELY!!!!!\n\nWe test athletes, don't we??!!!\n\nPeople who work with children need to meet a minimum standard of behavior. I think sobriety is not too much to require.\n\nAdd several more vocations to the list, too!!!\n\n\nWe can START with any job description that includes putting OTHER PEOPLE IN JAIL FOR DOING DRUGS. That would include police, lawyers, judges, principles and TEACHERS.
673077
i think each state should be mandated to try teenages as an adult, with no parole, no bail and a daily schedule made up for them in the institute that are assigned to. make it more military than just a sentence until they get out. they do not what is requested of them like the military they are punished again and again until they learn. it only takes 1 kid to kill someone and devastate a family.
1108109
Prisons are money making machines for the owners!  The states pay private prison managers a whole bunch of money.   Judges even own interests in restitution centers. What better way to keep 100% occupancy of their business. Isn't that a huge conflict of interest???\n\nIt is time for a huge revamp of our worthless prison system. \n\nThe basic premise of prison is to restrict freedom.  Currently they are nothing more than a holding tank.\n\nIf the inmate will be released at some point in their life it is better for society to get them headed towards managing freedom than a sudden release from a high security institution.  That is a recipe for failure. \n\nEmpowering an inmate through earning increased freedom woujld help reinforce the benefit of making postive choices. \n\nThere are many types of freedom restrictions:\n\nDeath row \nMaximum security - with no parole\n\nEventual Freedom:\n\nMaximum security - with parole\nSolitary confinement\nMinimum security\nJail\n(Convert abandoned military bases for low risk felons, youthful offenders, non violent crimes, rather than put them in with hardened criminals)\nWork release centers\nRestitution centers (how many judges invest in these and sentence people to them to keep them full?)\nForest camps\nRehab center\nHouse arrest\nTreatment centers\n\nMore freedom:\n\nAnkle bracelet monitoring\nParole from prison where they must meet with their parole officer\nProbation from jail where they must meet with their probation officer\n3rd Party Custodian\nRandom drug testing\nLose drivers license\nBreathalyzer installed on vehicle\n\nThe inmate enters prison at the highest level of freedom restriction the crime designates, determined by the type of crime.  \n\nBased on a set of personal needs and goals, the inmate can complete certain sets of requirements and move towards more freedom in graduated steps.  If they fight or break rules, they are sent back to the highest level of freedom restriction to start over. \n\nSome goals should be obtaining a GED, increasing SAT scores, entering college, higher education, work skills, community work within a prison (teaching someone to read, tutoring another inmate to get their GED), learning and applying anger management techniques, learning about domestic violence, revealing their early childhood trauma, learning to cry, feel human emotions.
947789
No definitely not, and besides that, jail does nothing to reform juvenile offenders, it just integrates them into a culture of adult offenders.  I think the key to curbing delinquent behavior in kids starts with the family- we don't have the reigns as tight on our kids as our parents had on us, and it shows.  Kids need curfews, jobs, and a sense of respect in general, and no amount of threats will instill that.
408341
You should really attempt to directly network with other "survival" young offenders program directors to see what they're using. We know stuff for nice, safe classrooms. \n\nHowever, that being said, I would say...rope them off, hike them to an ice falls, have them climb it, and camp at the top for a night. Then have them rapel back down, hike back to base camp, and discuss what the heck they should have done differently not to have lost a toe or two. :o)
642711
Any program will lower juvenile delinquency... as long as it has requirements... kids will strive to become better in sports leaving less time for them to get caught up. The National Youth Sports Program was pretty nice... it equips kids with the knowledge to survive and provides them with countless opportunities. It helped steer/motivate me... now I'm off to college....
836250
email me with the specifics of what kinds of questions you have to ask. i'll help if i can.\ni have worked in a prison, in a shelter for kids in the custody of CPS that have just been released from a juvenile detention center, as a bond agent, and currently work with defendants who have just been convicted. i have seen more than a few delinuents both juvenile and adult.
750730
We should teach them to read, provide vocational training, provide violence-prevention training, and drug and alcohol abuse rehabilitation, and therapy for adult victims of child abuse.\n\nThese were recommendations of prison wardens I read while California was passing the Three Strikes law.\n\nThe prison wardens at a conference were asked what they thought should be done to reduce recidivism, and the above list was their reply. That and make it easier for them to keep connection with their families.
727864
In Michigan we don't call it 'prison', we call it Boy's Training School or Girl's Training School.  We also have secure detention facilities which are modeled after the adult court system.  I am giving you this information so you understand my answer.  I have seen a few incidents of abuse in my career.  Only one has been perpetrated by a staff member.  The rest of the time, it was youth on youth.  The living conditions are very frequently much better than the homes they were removed from.  There are very few 'rehab programs' in any detention situation, it is a housing facility, much like the adult prison is.  If I could change the facilities here, I would pay the staff a decent wage and put more staff on at all times for their own protection and for that of the youths placed there.
20829
The Prison system shifted from being for reform to being punitive long ago, thus there has been a decrease in programs (vocation, education) in many prison systems.  \n\nPersonally, I think they should have more programs available.  Especially for non-violent drug/property crimes.
234556
I think that is okay. They are using their training for good. They are being strong for the ones who are weak. I see nothing wrong with it, as long as their intentions are good, and they encourage these weaker individuals to take measures which would enable them to defend themselves.