Are shock incarceration and boot camps the same?

Correctional boot camps (also called shock or intensive incarceration programs) are short-term residential programs that resemble military basic training and target convicted adult offenders. Boot camps are designed as alternative sanctions to reduce recidivism rates, as well as prison populations and operating costs. The aim is to reduce recidivism by modifying participants’ problem behaviors that likely contribute to their odds of committing additional crimes. Behavior modification occurs through reinforcement of positive behavior and immediate punishment of negative behavior. In addition, prison populations are reduced because inmates are diverted from traditional incarceration facilities and receive shorter sentences as participants in a boot camp program.