Before performing a study on the effect of boot camps in reducing recidivism, it is important to take into consideration the amount of time the offenders have spent in the community without committing crimes. In an evaluation performed by MacKenzie and Souryal to examine the efficacy of shock incarceration programs, offenders released from eight different boot camps in the following states were observed: Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, New York, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Texas. The offenders who had been released and had just began supervision were followed in the community for either one or two years. They were compared to offenders who had being released into probation. In the state of Georgia, for example, boot camp graduates
