Why did support for juvenile boot camps decline?

Support for juvenile boot camps declined significantly during the first decade of the 21st century due to several critical factors:

• Evidence of Ineffectiveness: Multiple studies demonstrated that boot camps provided no greater rehabilitative benefits compared to conventional incarceration, failing to reduce recidivism rates more effectively than other models.12
• Safety and Ethical Concerns: The programs faced intense national scrutiny following reports of abuse and the deaths of inmates, which raised serious questions about the safety and treatment of youth within these facilities.1

As a result of these findings and the associated controversies, the Federal Bureau of Prisons and numerous U.S. states opted to close or scale back their boot-camp programs. The shift away from these institutions reflects a broader recognition of the ethical imperative to prioritize humane, evidence-based approaches to the treatment and social rehabilitation of young offenders over punitive, military-style discipline.12