Boot camps are part of the correctional and penal system of some countries. Modeled after military recruit training camps, these programs are based on shock incarceration grounded on military techniques. The aggressive training used has resulted in deaths in a variety of circumstances. Boot camps are also criticized around the world for their lack of behavioral change and for the way extreme force can traumatize children and teenagers.

The term "boot" originates from US Navy and Marine recruits in the Spanish–American War (1898) who wore leggings called boots. These recruits were trained in "boot" camps.

Military-style training was used in the eighteenth century to rehabilitate civilian prisoners in the United States and for military prisoners during World War 2.

In Australia, the Liberal National Premier of the state of Queensland Campbell Newman announced that boot camps for convicted young people will open in Townsville and Rockhampton by September 2013, along with two other camps. These boot camps closed in 2015 under the Labor government.

In the People's Republic of China, boot camps mainly for internet addiction disorder, known as internet addiction camps or "special training schools" (Chinese: 特训学校; pinyin: Tèxùn Xuéxiào), have been widely criticized for their abusive methods and harsh conditions.

In Canada, participation in boot camp programs is voluntary, so as to avoid any challenges under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms under which treatment at boot camps could be seen as an infringement on a youth's right to not be subject to cruel and unusual punishment and to ensure security of person.^{[citation needed]}

The provincial government of Ontario funded a private boot camp project for non-violent juveniles, Project Turnaround, from 1997 to 2004. The camp was a "tougher" alternative to Ontario's other youth detention facilities as part of a tough on crime response to increasing youth incarceration rates by the government of Premier Mike Harris.

In New Zealand, boot camps have been established on several occasions as part of the corrections system. These boot camp programmes have typically focussed on a small group of young male offenders, and have used military-style training. The establishment of boot camp programmes has been a pre-election promise made prior to several general elections since 2008 by political leaders from the National Party, and there has been a significant level of popular support. However, multiple studies have shown that these programmes are ineffective in reducing rates of re-offending, and some argue that they increase the likelihood of criminal activity. The concept has been widely criticised for failing to address the root causes of criminal behaviour by young people, such as abuse within the family, mental health issues and homelessness. As early as 1997, the Corrections Minister Paul East of the National Party acknowledged that corrective training was not effective in reducing youth re-offending and said: