This was a five-year follow-up study of 572 male and 120 female graduates of a boot camp in the South. The purpose was to examine what elements of life-course theory predict recidivism (felony conviction or parole violation), gender differences in predictors, and some issues regarding the effects of boot camp. Special emphasis was on perceptions of the boot camp experience by inmates, and on how sexual and physical abuses during different stages of the life span predict recidivism. Cox's Proportional-Hazards Model indicated that certain favorable perceptions of the boot camp program were associated with decreased hazard rates of recidivism, even after considering factors considered to be ameliorating experiences in life-course theory. Childhood sexual abuse, sexual and physical maltreatments in adolescence, and current sexual assaults are related to increases in the hazard rates of recidivism. In support of life-course theory, ameliorating experiences, such as having a conventional partner and full-time employment, did significantly reduce the hazard rates of most predictors studied. Finally, several gender differences relevant to questions about the utility and humanity of boot camps were discussed. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)