DOING AN ABOUT-FACE ON CRIME

Jerrod Suggs squirmed in his seat Thursday, eager to hug his mother
who stoically sat in uniform 30 feet away. He wore a yellow shirt
spray-painted with green balloons and the words, "Welcome Home Momma."

He watched as his mother, Ravinia, and the rest of the Able Platoon
(Adapting Beyond Limited Expectations) shouted one of their final
cadences: "I used to wear my Daisy Dukes; now I wear my combat boots.
And it won't be for long; because we're going back home."

The 5-year-old shouted and waved as his mother joined the first group
of women to graduate from the Cook County Boot Camp, an alternative
sentencing program that began with only males about 18 months ago.

Instead of going to prison, the 24 women spent 18 weeks learning about
self-respect, discipline and hard work. The program puts non-violent
criminal offenders into an intense, military-style environment in the
hopes they will leave the camp with a change in direction and new
goals for a crime-free life.

"I am just ready to go home," declared Suggs, 27, who ran up to her
son after the group finished its final marching exercise and each
member celebrated in traditional graduation style by throwing her
yellow cap toward the sky.

It was no surprise that children filled the gym of the Cook County
Boot Camp, at 2801 S. Rockwell St., during Thursday's graduation
ceremonies: 18 of the 24 women are mothers looking forward to going
back to the job of parenting.

Typical of graduation ceremonies, parents, children and friends sat in
the audience with roses, balloons and proud smiles for the graduates.

"You know what you did to get here," Cook County Sheriff Michael F.
Sheahan told the graduates. "Look at the Criminal Court Building and
make sure you never have to go back."

For the past 4 1/2 months, the women have awakened at 5:30 a.m. to run
and complete an exercise regimen.

But the emphasis has been on education and rehabilitation--the women
get drug counseling and classes on parenting, domestic abuse and life
skills. They also take courses intended to help them earn a GED.

The women, wearing crisp white shirts, black combat boots and red
pants and ties, lived in platoon-style dormitories surrounded by
barbed wire. Friends and relatives were allowed to visit once a week.

Linda Adams, 27, knows that she could have spent up to 6 years in the
Cook County Jail for possession of heroin.

"It was scary at first, but this is a blessing," said Adams, who lives
with here daughter on the West Side of Chicago. "This is the day I get
back out in society and do what I have to do as an adult."

Like Adams, most of the women, ages 18 to 33, were convicted of
drug-related felonies. Only three had graduated from high school or
had earned their GED.

"You have the capacity now, with your determination, to make good
decisions," said U.S. District Judge Blanche M. Manning. "Take
responsibility for your happiness."

Although they completed boot camp Thursday, the graduates are required
to wear electronic monitoring bracelets and serve the next 45 days on
house arrest. During that time they will also attend classes and
support group sessions, according to Gayler Cobbs, director of
operations for the program.

Checked-by: Patrick Henry