>> The majority of our inmates were urban blacks. <<
What about swimming? Were a lot of them afraid of that also?
Funny you should mention that. We took them on a short float trip in jonboats (it might be a regional term—flat bottomed boats with squared off prows—very stable as opposed to say canoes). We had life belts on all of them and they were afraid to move. One kid asked another for a smoke, the kid he asked had some, but was afraid to reach up to his shirt pocket to get them. We weren’t shooting rapids, just drifting down a slow river. It was a real reversal from their usual street tough swagger. I believe there was an informal agreement among the kids after the trip that any kid who mentioned their behavior while camping or floating would receive a beat down.