Boot camp programs (also referred to as shock incarceration programs) involve a short stay (typically 90-120 days) during which juveniles are subjected to a physically and emotionally demanding regimen of strict discipline, exercise, drills and labor, similar to military basic training practices. It is believed that during their time in a boot camp, juvenile offenders will be “shocked” straight. The article examines boot camp programs in Georgia, Louisiana, and New Jersey. The article cannot conclude that juvenile boot camp programs are a viable alternative to other dispositions such as probation and restitution. The program should be viewed as part of a response matrix in the field of corrections, effective only when part of a more comprehensive plan for saving young people from adult prisons, from a premature and violent death and from a life of victimizing others. References