Supervisor Seeks Funds for Inmate Boot Camp

Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich on Tuesday asked county officials to try to find up to $3.5 million to continue a boot-camp program for inmates in county penal camps.

The 90-day, military-style program run at the Peter J. Pitchess Honor Rancho in Castaic--known officially as the Regimented Inmate Diversion Program--began in October. Probation officials estimate that the combination of classes, counseling and discipline has helped more than half of the graduates find work. Students are issued military-style uniforms, have their hair cut short, and undergo strict disciplinary training that includes academic instruction and job counseling.

The program was temporarily funded by money seized in drug raids, and the county was expected to begin paying for it in the fall. But the Sheriff’s Department announced last week that no new students would be accepted after June 11 because of a shortage of money.

“This program is a vital part of our rehabilitation program,” Antonovich said. “The Sheriff’s Department and the Probation Department both have testified to the success of the program of tough discipline.”