Inmate adjustment and change during shock incarceration: The impact of correctional boot camp programs

Abstract

The prison adjustment, expectations, and attitudes of offenders participating in a shock incarceration program were compared to offenders who dropped out of the program and to a comparable group of offenders serving their sentence in a regular prison. There was some evidence that before beginning the program, dropouts from shock incarceration had less prosocial attitudes than those who continued in the program. Shock incarceration offenders differed from those in the regular prison in their adjustment to prison, in their attitudes, and in the changes in these over time. In comparison to regular prison inmates, they were more positive about their prison experience, about their ability to make positive changes in their lives, and in general prosocial attitudes. It was concluded that those who continued voluntarily in the program showed evidence of positive change during shock incarceration. Future research should examine whether these changes are related to performance during parole.