Boot Camp for Cons — They Don't Work:

Yesterday's Washington Post reports on a good idea gone bad, boot camp for prisoners. The idea is that if you send a young, first time offender to what amounts to military style basic training, he'll come out with a new sense of responsibility and a strong disciplinary ethic. Unfortunately, the statistics don't back up the belief.

Recidivism for boot camp prisoners compared to other prison populations is — guess what — identical. That's right, all of that let's work the kid into shape stuff doesn't pay off. According to The Post, " Francis Cullen, a distinguished research professor in criminal justice at the University of Cincinnati, says their popularity was based on 'conventional quackery.' In the absence of scientific proof, the boot camps just seemed like a good idea."

It's interesting to note that the first boot camp opened in 1983, while that darling of the conservatives, Ronny Reagan, was president. The practice was part of that side of our personality that likes the notion of slapping bad boys around after they screw up. We just really like the idea of putting a but up somebody's backside, especially if we can do it vicariously, like at the movies or by hiring people to run boot camps.