Work Ethic Camp makes a difference

As early as next week, the Nebraska Work Ethic Camp in McCook could record its 1,000th admission. The camp stood at 971 admissions at the end of July, and by a week ago that total had risen to 990. Within days -- possibly on Monday -- the total will top 1,000.

There will be no awards ... no special recognition. But it seems like a good time to look back ... to review ... to ask how things are going and to consider whether or not the Work Ethic Program is making a difference.

The big question remains: Is the time spent at the Work Ethic Camp having an effect on the lives of offenders, helping to encourage them to change the habits that put them in trouble with the law?

It's not perfect. No system of criminal correction ever has been. But, in the opinion of Superintendent Raleigh Haas, the Work Ethic Camp is a better approach than sending offenders to prison.

What the Work Ethic Camp offers is a chance ... an opportunity to give up bad habits and learn new ways of coping with life's demands.

Ways of measuring success are still being developed, but this is known. For the past fiscal year -- from July 1, 2004, to June 30, 2005 -- more than 84 percent complied with probation requirements in the year following completion of the program. The other side of that is that 15 percent failed to comply with probation terms and, as a result, were sent to prison.

One of the big problems -- for those admitted to the camp and for those who get in trouble afterwards -- is substance abuse. Since the Work Ethic Camp opened April 30, 2001, more than 90 percent of the offenders have been treated for substance abuse -- whether that be drugs or alcohol. That has brought about one of the major changes in the program. "At first, we planned to confront the abuse problem with an educational program, but we have found more is needed," Haas said. "Now, intensive outpatient treatment is combined with educational programs."

The Work Ethic Camp Program offers a timeout -- with offenders spending 120 to 180 days in a clean, healthy, work-dominated environment. It is not changing every offender's life ... but it is changing many, making it a better alternative than traditional prison settings.