Lawmakers agree to close boot camps

? Florida lawmakers agreed Wednesday to shut down the state’s juvenile boot camps after the death of a 14-year-old boy who had been kicked and punched by guards.

Under the deal, Florida’s four remaining boot camps would be replaced with a new, less militaristic program. The state would pump an additional $32.6 million into juvenile justice programs, increasing total spending to $699.5 million.

The move was prompted by the death Jan. 6 of Martin Lee Anderson, who was roughed up in a videotaped scuffle at a Panama City boot camp. The camp was shut down after the boy’s death, which remains under investigation and has drawn protests from civil rights leaders.