Perceived conditions of confinement: A national evaluation of juvenile boot camps and traditional facilities

In a national study of juvenile correctional facilities, the perceived envi ronment of 22 juvenile boot camps was compared to the perceived environment of 22 traditional facilities. Self-report surveys completed by 4,121 juven iles recorded information on demographics, risk factors, and perceptions of the facility's environment. Compared to juveniles in traditional correctio nal facilities, boot camp residents consistently perceived the environment as significantly more controlled, active, and structured, and as having les s danger from other residents. Boot camp juveniles also perceived the envir onment as providing more therapeutic and transitional programming. Overall, front the perspective of the juveniles, boot camps appear to provide a mor e positive environment conducive to effective rehabilitation considering al most all of the conditions measured A major concern is that in both types o f facilities, juveniles perceived themselves to occasionally be in danger f ront staff (rated as rarely to sometimes).