PT

There was a loss of trust in rehabilitation as nothing seemed to work (1960s-1970s) (Minaker and Hogeveen 2009)

In 1994, 82% of Canadians were concerned that the juvenile justice system was being too soft towards youth offenders (Reid-Macnevin 1997).

In 1995 the “Ontario Government established a Task Force on Strict Discipline for Young Offenders” (Correctional Service Canada 2015)

The over representation of violent youth crime in the media and in popular discourse in 1990s, led to the creation of a punishable young offender (Hogveen 2005). The public began to advocate against what they believed were youth detention facilities offering a luxurious experience to undeserving young offenders (Hogeveen 2005).

There was also an increasing number of youth being sent to custody - implying the need for successful rehabilitative strategies

Statistics Canada 1998

Just as the name Project Turnaround implies, PT was established to offer youth in conflict with the law a catalyst to turn around their life.

Boot camps were also referred to as "shock incarceration programs" first introduced in 1983 (Simon 1995).

Initially, they were sentencing options for adults to reduce overcrowding in prisons (Minaker and Hogeveen 2009)

The rigors of boot-camp life with an emphasis on discipline and rehabilitative training hoped to enhance the offender's life and public protection after their release to the community (Simon 1995)

Vision

Elements

The basic element was to reproduce appearance through military training (Simon 1995).

Services

Who does PT support?

• youth in conflict with the law
• youth at risk to re-offend
• youth at risk of criminal behaviour

(Midaynta 2020).

What services are provided?

• Military-style training
• Awareness about gangs and associated risks
• Interventions such as counseling and education
• Parenting skills training
• Court support
• Support to complete probation and bail orders

(Midaynta 2020).

To be eligible, offenders must be:

• Male
• Age 16-19
• Have no current or previous convictions for homicide, arson or sex offences
• Medically fit and free of physical disabilities that prevent participation in program
• Have 4-10 months remaining in a secure custody
• Have no serious mental disorders

(Correctional Service Canada 2015).

Participants are randomly chosen from the pool of eligible candidates (Statistics Canada 1998)

During the 12-month period that ended on August 31, 1998, 68 individuals were admitted (Statistics Canada 1998)

Gendered hyper-masculine environment

The maximum security facility, with a 6 metre-high fence had high risk offenders between the ages of 16 and 17, with a maximum capacity of 36 offenders (Forsyth 2019).

In order to keep low costs, youth with severe mental health issues were excluded from the program (Friedman 2003)

Daily Schedules for Entry-Level Cadets

(Correctional Service Canada 2015).

Disciplinary activities included:

• Tending the fields
• Growing crops for other local facilities
• Marching daily
• Reading and doing homework daily
• Achieving certain goals ranging from using proper table manners to keeping a daily journal and running a mile in under 7 minutes

The cadets daily performance was rated by staff on a 5-point scale.

The daily ratings were used as a guide to move cadets though the ranking system at PT. The cadets were ranked by levels 1-4.

(Correctional Service Canada 2015).

The lack of amenities in the "dorm" may be explained by the strict disciplinary approach the institution took towards the boys that offered little leisure time (Wormith et al. 2015)

This is how cadets would organize their belongings such as T-shirts

According to the Cadet Handbook of Project Turnaround: "When you are in a section room and an officer enters, you must:

1) stop what you are doing;

2) come to the position of attention;

3) stay at that position until told to carry on."

(Shapiro 1999)

Dorm "Rules"

Boys were instructed on their dorms through creating "Squads"

Treatment to Encourage Rehabilitation Included:

In order to do this, after the youth at PT were released from secure custody, they would be assigned a caseworker for 4-12 months (Statistics Canada 1998). This caseworker would watch the boys closely to ensure that they followed their specific aftercare programs and to offer them support. This was also done to ensure that the boys had internalized the discipline officials believed they were lacking.

One parent wrote a letter to the Minister of Correctional Services saying,

"Thank you for giving back our son,"

after going through Project Turnaround.

(Hansard Index 2000)

Others claim that PT's goals of rehabilitation and reintegration might run counter to Encourage Youth Corporation's interest in maintaining residency to ensure profit (Friedman 2003).

It was argued that boot-camps held inconsistent procedures and philosophies which created abusive punishments and created a "we versus them" atmosphere (Styve, MacKenzie, Gover, and Mitchell 2000)

Critics believed that it was less caring, more unfair, and less therapeutic compared to traditional institutions (Styve, MacKenzie, Gover, and Mitchell 2000). They anticipate that the nature of boot-camps don't create better citizens after release as youth may fear the staff and have less individualized training which doesn't prepare them (Styve, MacKenzie, Gover, and Mitchell 2000)

There was negative media coverage on PT, surrounding its strict discipline boot camp style (Muskoka Region 2003). There was a need for longer sentences, tighter security measures and grimmer jails (Shapiro 1999).