Predicting the Likelihood of Rearrest among Shock Incarceration Graduates: Moving Beyond Another Nail in the Boot Camp Coffin

With the early stages of emotional enchantment with their symbolic appeal over, boot camps are increasingly being subjected to accountability measures. Despite their public popularity, research thus far has often cast doubt on the practical ability of such interventions to fulfill their expectations. This study of a 90-day, jail-based shock incarceration program adds to the mounting empirical evidence suggesting that boot camps may not be producing desired results. Realistically, however, such results are unlikely to extinguish this politically viable sentencing alternative. In exploring variables beyond program participation that might contribute to recidivism, this study found relationships between the likelihood of being rearrested and race, type of release, number of prior felonies, age, and sentencing points (criminal history). The implications of these findings for both judicial sentencing considerations and structural program modifications are discussed along with the challenges of constructing a matched comparison group for offenders serving jail rather than prison time.