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Florida lawmakers ruled in favor of closing the state’s juvenile boot camps after a 14-year-old boy was kicked and punched to death by guards.

The new measure will pump an extra $32.6 million into juvenile justice programs to restore the four remaining boot camps with a new, less militaristic approach that will be closely monitored by the state. The new juvenile programs will stress self-esteem and ban physical discipline by guards.

“Unfortunately it has taken the death of a young man to get to this point,” said Gus Barreiro, chairman of the House Juvenile Justice Appropriations Committee.

The new deal, which will be effective July 1, was provoked after the January death of teenager Martin Lee Anderson, who was beaten to death by guards at a Panama City boot camp. The camp shut down after Anderson’s death and is still under investigation.

“Now there won’t be any more children being abused while in the custody of the state,” said attorney Ben Crump. “It is something good to have a legacy knowing that his death wasn’t in vain.” Crump is representing Anderson’s parents in a lawsuit against the state and sheriff’s office that ran the camp.

Florida previously had nine juvenile boot camps at the height of the existing program. Teenagers were sent to these camps for a period of four to six months for mid-level crimes such as drugs or burglary. The old program allowed guards to behave like drill sergeants and enabled them to use physical abuse for disciplinary purposes.

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