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Boot Camps

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  • First Online:
Encyclopedia of Adolescence

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Overview

Boot camps are short-term incarceration programs that are modeled after military basic training facilities. Boot camps typically emphasize structure, physical training, drill, ceremony, and strict adherence to rules. Some programs also offer rehabilitation services or educational/vocational programming, but there is considerable variation in both the extent and quality of these services across facilities. Camp participants are treated similarly to new military personnel and assigned to squads or platoons. Participants are generally housed in dormitories that resemble military barracks. In most camps, participants are awoken early in the morning and subsequently subjected to a rigorous daily schedule of activities that are closely monitored by staff. Staff members typically behave like drill instructors and are often addressed by military titles. Punishment for institutional misconduct is swift, is certain, and usually involves some form of physical exercise. Programs usually...

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References

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of Nebraska, Omaha, NE, USA

    Benjamin Steiner

  2. Department of Justice Studies, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA, USA

    Benjamin Meade

Authors
  1. Benjamin Steiner
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  2. Benjamin Meade
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Benjamin Steiner or Benjamin Meade .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA

    Roger J. R. Levesque

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Steiner, B., Meade, B. (2018). Boot Camps. In: Levesque, R.J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Adolescence. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33228-4_76

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