I just looked online. It seems one cannot enter the military on probation but job corps might be a possibility.
Maybe they could suspend the sentence, contingent that he act right and complete the program, while he lived there. And if he acts out they could jerk him back to jail.
I want to mention Job Corps. My son went when he was 18. He kind of hated it, but I loved it. It is free. They live there. They are very well supervised. It is a government program. There are all kinds of training programs that they can choose from.
That way in a year or two he would have a trade, a way to make a living and live independently. Hopefully.
