Cook County Sheriff's Boot Camp

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The Cook County Sheriff’s Boot Camp is located in an urban setting adjacent to the Cook County Department of Corrections complex. It is designed to provide non–violent offenders a strict detention program based on military discipline, fundamental vocational skills, education and alcohol/substance abuse treatment. In addition, the Boot Camp features an 8–month long post–detention supervision program where participants must return to the Boot Camp on a daily basis to continue educational programming.

In order to be eligible for the boot camp, participants must be between the ages of 17 and 35, must have never committed a violent or sex–related crime, and must not have served more than one term in state prison. All offenders chosen for the Boot Camp must plead guilty to their charges and agree to placement in the program. Participants undergo a health and psychological assessment before they are admitted.

Public Safety Impact
The Boot Camp program is aimed at reaching and impacting younger offenders at an early stage of criminality before they develop a pattern of recidivism leading to repeat incarceration and more serious crimes against society. The program will attempt to make that impact utilizing a curriculum that combines military discipline, fundamental vocational skills, education, drug/alcohol abuse treatment and manual labor.

President John Stroger and Sheriff Michael Sheahan History
Sheriff Michael F. Sheahan began development discussions for the Boot Camp in 1992 and led a four–year drive to secure the commitment and support of the Cook County Board of Commissioners and the State of Illinois. A number of major obstacles had to be overcome, the first being a change in state legislation that would allow the county to begin an impact incarceration program for persons who would otherwise be sentenced to prison. Since Cook County’s enabling legislation was passed, a number of other counties have moved to pass such legislation including DuPage and Kane counties. Cook is the first county in the state to begin a Boot Camp within a jail setting.