Advantages and Disadvantages of Juvenile Boot Camps - Research Paper Example

The paper explores the various opinions regarding boot camps conducted in military styles for the purpose of disciplining convicts. Arguments that support the idea of the programs are presented as well as the counter arguments that posit that the environments of these programs based on strict controls may be more damaging rather than beneficial. Evaluating both sides of the debate, the existence of such camps are justified particularly since they allow criminals to rediscover themselves and teach the discipline required to move onto trajectories of decent livelihood. The Merits and Demerits of Military style Boot Camps 1. Introduction Opinion is divided regarding the efficacy and desirability of the programs of boot camps conducted in military style to rehabilitate and reform convicted felons. While some people vouch for it pointing out it as invaluable and irreplaceable for the purpose of instilling discipline and morality in convicts, others reject it outright arguing it to be harmful and thus unsuitable for members of human society. The objective of the present endeavor is to evaluate the program by identifying the advantages as well as disadvantages the program is associated with. In the remainder of the essay, first the arguments for the program are presented and then the arguments against it are noted. The final section summarizes and synthesizes the presented arguments to finally reach an informative conclusion. 2. Arguments in support of the program 2.1 Imparting understanding of the notion of responsibility for own actions: Conveying the meaning and importance of discipline is one of the primary motivations of the programs. This is motivated by the notion that criminal activities are motivated mainly through a lifestyle lacking morality and discipline, and that through learning discipline criminals may perceive the significance of their actions and learn to bear responsibility for them. Through instilling such notions of responsibility for one’s own actions it is argued that the significance of morality and values can be conveyed to the convicted offenders. Resultantly, it is expected that the attendants of the camp then can truly perceive the magnitude of their offenses not only from their own perspectives but also from those of the victims. Thus, a major change may be possibly affected in the attitudes of these people to life and society and important attributes of self-awareness and inspiration to improve can be effectively instilled. This can lead to considerable improvements in the convicts’ way of thinking and take away all incentives to commit criminal activities again. 2.2 Negating the bad effects of bad starts to life: Boot camp programs are also supported stating that they motivate offenders to start anew and afresh and thus effectively eliminate the negative effects of lives led so far that had bad starts and thus may have previously motivated these individuals to deviate into lives of crime. Participants on whom boots camps are able to instill such views so that they strive to set things straight and are encouraged to grab the second chance to reform generally perform well and thus justify the existence of the programs. Convicts who start to appreciate the significance of correcting oneself exhibit considerably improved attitudes and approaches to life. Such performances are in essence a reflection of the understanding that successfully completing the boot camp pushes them on a trajectory of personal growth and fulfillment that was previously unachievable. Thus for those who never got the scope to dream about a legitimately successful future due to bad starts in life have the fact that through disciplined efforts greatly improved lives that are mentally and intellectually much more satisfying can be attained impressed upon them. 2.3 Motivation for introspection: The boot camps also motivates prisoners to introspect and contemplate about their present situations comparatively with possible considerably improved lives attainable by incorporating discipline in to their respective lifestyles and acting on the basis of moral values perceived through participating in the camps. The intensive and rigorous routines that the camps make the participants go through instill within them capacities to break past previous self imposed limits. Often, it has been found that crime is an act of failure to adhere to continuously instructional framework that the law of society requires. Thus by making the inmates realize their capacities to follow rigorous routines in pursuit of amelioration they can be removed from the path of crime and pushed on to paths of decent livelihood. 2.4 Teaching to break free of self-imposed limits: The mental satisfaction that individuals derive from successfully absorbing and learning from the intensive disciplinary exercises of the camps make them triumphant. Additionally, inmates have also been observed to begin to nurture a sensation of belonging to a group. The convicts come from diverse social tiers and that committing crime becomes less difficult when an individual feels like an outcast in society are taken into consideration and the training is often provided to eradicate such factors from the criminal minds. Often, lack of friends and family result in lack of motivation to improve one’s self and this derived feeling of belonging and new friendships may just serve in providing the motivation. A number of tasks in the camps are intentionally designed so that the inmates have to cooperate among themselves to succeed and thus serve in creating and nurturing friendships and brotherhoods. Successful achievement of goals in such teambuilding tasks provide incentives to unite. The essential objectives of these tasks are to engender the atmosphere which inspires cohesion among teammates. By participating in such exercises the significance of teamwork, reliance and that of being trustworthy dawns upon the convicts. 2.5 Conveying the importance of reliance and being trustworthy through motivating teamwork: Given such frameworks, it can be thus understood why convicts reformed by going through such boot camp training can become role models for new reprobates facing similar situations. The camps provide the inmates with new outlooks to life and such reformed felons are sometimes employed as mentors or counselors for their respective communities. 3. Demerits However, it is the rigor and intensity of these programs which has led these to draw flak. 3.1 Abuse of Human Rights: The most significant argument against boot camps is that given that there is no guarantee of successful rehabilitation, forcing convicts to go through such courses can be thought of as abuse of human rights. Crime is often motivated by lack of inspiration to stay on the correct path. In cases of many offenders of law it has been observed that their tendencies are incorrigible since the inclinations to abuse laws are so strongly inherent. Since successfully completing the course requires a strict regimen to be followed and necessitates adherence to a preset curriculum, incorrigible criminals will never be successful in completing the course. Also it may be that they complete the course simply to get out of the camp and return to a life of abusing laws. In such cases it is argued that boot camps fail in their fundamental objective of providing correctional training. 3.2 Possibility of aggravating mental instabilities: The facts that every individual is different and that not each participant is suited to these programs due to lacking the will as well as ability to succeed in this programs motivates a primary argument against the boot camps for prisoners. It is argued that people who commit crimes as a result of emotional or mental instabilities may have their problems aggravated by being subjected to the intensively stressful programs particularly due to the military manner in which these camps are conducted. Not only does the camp assert mental stress on the attendants, the level of physical stress is also considerable and may be thus severely de-motivating. In fact just as much success in tasks can improve the outlook one has regarding one’s self, failures can be devastating. A person failing to comply with the requirements of the tasks can feel as a social reject and a misfit which thereby may motivate future criminal behavior. 3.3 Negative outlooks of society: Another strong argument against boot camps is that even though a candidate may be extremely successfully complete all requirements and graduate from the program, societies negative outlooks may force him/her back onto the path of crime. The due to his criminal record the person shall always be viewed as a suspect and this may shut a number of employment opportunities which would have been viable otherwise. Such perceptions of society may thrust the individual into an unprecedentedly difficult situation that he/she was not prepared for. Particularly given the optimistic feeling of belonging developed as a part of the boot camp membership, this may prove to be an insurmountable difficulty that forces the person back onto a path of crime. Conclusion Though there emerge lists of demerits that succeed in arguing against boot camps, I believe the potential advantages are strong enough to validate the existence of such correctively rehabilitative and reforming programs. The potential for rediscovering one’s own self offered by such camps, in my opinion, overwhelms any arguments against it. However, I believe modifying the programs a bit to have variations in programs for different personalities and personal traits may succeed in gaining better results particularly since to impart any kind of education or learning it is imperative to mould the information into forms perceivable by the candidates. Often crime is committed much more due to social atrocities individuals are subjected to over the courses of disturbed childhoods and difficult adolescent periods in relatively poorer societies. Such societies confine people’s horizons and prevent them from conceiving decent livelihoods as tenable options. Such people deserve second chances. However, it is necessary to detoxify such criminals from the negative learning instilled within them due to such erratic upbringings and the necessity of intensely disciplinary routines is reflected therein. The routines also provide these people with the training they need to learn skills to upgrade themselves personally and professionally in future to ensure proper careers. Thus to conclude, this essay finds boot camps to be justifiable, though these can become greater social utilities if certain modifications are made to allow for different variations of routines account for personality differences among inmates and allow them to learn according to their own characters. Read More