Shock incarceration and positive adjustment during community supervision

This study examines the adjustment of offenders from shock incarceration programs (boot-camp prisons) during community supervision over a 1-year followup period in five states. Their performance is compared to comparison groups who were eligible for the shock program but did not attend. An index was used to quantify the positive activities of offenders. The results provide little conclusive evidence that the shock incarceration programs had a positive effect on offender behavior. The data do suggest that supervision intensity plays an important role in shaping offenders' activities during community supervision.This investigation was supported in part by Grant 90-DD-CX-0061 from the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice to the University of Maryland. Points of view in this document are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the U.S. Department of Justice.An earlier version of this paper was presented at the Annual Meeting of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, March 1994, Chicago, Illinois.