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Preliminary Investigation of Oklahoma's Shock Incarceration Program

NCJ Number
163395
Journal
Journal of the Oklahoma Criminal Justice Research Consortium Volume: 2 Dated: (August 1995) Pages: 44-49
Author(s)
S T Marcus-Mendoza
Date Published
1995
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article reports on a preliminary evaluation of Oklahoma's Shock Incarceration Program (SIP), short-term boot camp program.
Abstract
Computer records were analyzed for 387 female and 1,546 male inmates who had participated in the SIP program, as well as for a comparison group of 2,936 inmates. SIP was designed as a 45-day program, but the actual length of stay varied, depending on inmates' next requirement for parole conditions. The program for the female inmates was a boot camp program with no education or psychological programming, although inmates had access to the psychological services at the center upon request. The inmates' time was divided between drill routines and work assignments. Although they were housed separately from the rest of the prison population, they shared other facilities and were not truly segregated from the general prison population. The male inmates divided their time between work, drill routines, education, and therapy. Their program included moral reconation therapy, rational behavioral therapy, substance abuse education, stress management and relaxation training, narcotics anonymous, alcoholics anonymous, and general equivalency diploma. A survival analysis was conducted to determine the difference in recidivism rates for the two groups. Recidivism rates were lower for the male inmates in the SIP group than for the male inmates who participated in conventional incarceration, and recidivism rates were equal for the two groups of female inmates. Several issues require further investigation, including individual program components. 2 tables, 3 figures, and 20 references