Despite controversy over the means employed by boot camp operators, and the ends, in terms of recidivism outcomes, boot camps are growing in popularity. While shock incarceration programs vary widely in their emphasis and program, they share some kind of military organization and discipline. The majority of American inmates has always been the societal outcasts, the poor, and immigrants. Mandatory drug sentencing laws have changed the configurations of the prison population in the past 20 years, as less violent offenders are receiving longer minimum sentences. Boot camps provide a last resort for these offenders, having survived State and Federal budget cuts because they are perceived as being part of a get-tough-on-crime approach. While boot camp officers must use "tough love" to rehabilitate inmates, they should never resort to cruel or excessively harsh treatment. Boot camps can be very effective with the right people in charge, with committed and well-trained staff, good supervision, and a select population of inmates.