Cook County Boot Camp - Get Fit

Cook County boot camp is ran by the sheriff's department. It's used to rehabilitate criminals between the ages of 17 and 35 who have not committed crimes that are violent or even sex-related. Only those offenders who have been involved in a non-violent crime are eligible to participate. Also they will not have been able to serve more than one term previously in jail.

A military type boot camp, where the offenders will learn vocational skills, and training in education, and also treatment for drug or alcohol problems. After they have finished the boot camp, up to 8 months they will need to come back to make sure they are staying straight. These visits will need to be daily and they will be tested to make sure they are following the rules.

It's thought that this program will help those young offenders to straighten up and fly right. They will have that good old military discipline, along with many other things. These will include anger management, job readiness skills, and other things that will help them in future life.

The rate of repeat offenders who have finished this program is outstanding. Showing that 7 out of 10 people who've been through this Cook county boot camp will not be in trouble again. A great idea that will teach discipline, job skills, and even help to get some of these offenders off of drugs and alcohol. A way in which they will be able to learn a skill like carpentry and hold down a job when they finish the program. Instead of being a burden on society they will be an integral part of it. Learning from an experience that will change their lives.

In five years only 30% of the people who've participated in this program have ever got into trouble again. That's a great percentage for the over 4, 000 people who've been through this program that last a year. That's 7 out of 10 people who will not commit a crime again and get into trouble.

The idea of Sheriff Michael Sheahan was finally opened back in 1997; it's been used to help facilitate the rehabilitation of many young adults who've gotten into trouble. Now they have even expanded the education to include GED tests and a program to learn carpentry.

Lasting 18 weeks and a program that is very intensive in the military style, the offenders will also need to visit daily for 8 months after they have successfully completed the program. Located on 10. 2 acres in Chicago, this boot camp is truly a great success.

The offenders have a way to learn life skills and other things that will help them get jobs and help out in the community when they finish this program. With the intensive military style boot camp discipline is a must learn for these offenders.

With such a small repeat rate of only 3 out of 10 past offenders committing a crime again. This program seems like a great idea that should be looked into for many other states. Not only taking care of the problems with addictions, but with training in different areas that will help these young offenders locate and hopefully hold a job. A typical day will have them up at 5:30 in the morning and lights out at 9:30 at night.