In March 1988 Camp Sauble took a new direction, becoming the first Special Alternative Incarceration program in Michigan. Also called shock incarceration or bootcamps, these walls house 13 weeks of hell for offenders 18-25, who had never been to prison before and would otherwise be serving 1-5 years in the traditional prison system. These programs were designed as a cheap way to keep young offenders out of the prison system, away from hardened criminals and return them as productive members of society.

Bootcamp programs were much stricter and both mentally and physically demanding. From the moment the squad car doors opened the guards had total control. Inmates were slammed against the bumper of the squad car, called “Maggot” and “Scum” in true old school military style.

Woken up at 5am by clanging trash can lids, there was no prison shuffle here. Hard work and physical exercise, all done double time, with a corrections officer screaming in their faces. Humiliation, strict discipline and military neatness, every second of their lives closely monitored and controlled.

No talking, no smoking, no laziness, with only 1 hour to themselves to silently read or write.

Those who couldn’t handle the program were kicked out or quit, both ending in serving the remainder of their original sentence. Quitters were singled out in yellow jumpsuits and quitter beds.