saw you were talkin bout him needing to realize his free ride will be over soon and had to post again......i had to learn the same thing and it helped me some. every two weeks he will get a "paycheck" its not much but it will get him the necessities. laundry soap, shower stuff, etc. he will get free room and board and they provide 3 meals (not the greatest tasting). but he will have to learn to spend his money wisely and all. i went to one that was out of state for me and it kept me from quiting.
and yes the rules are strict.

i have been to job corps myself. infact that is where i got my high school diploma. and not only are you able to get a hsd but also a certification in a trade. it is good in that sense but i wasted a lot of time there goofing off. lol. but if they can buckle down and get everything done they can be out of there in a year or possible less. but like i said it depends on how hard they work.
i think every campus is different but i really didnt care for the one i went to. i almost felt like i was in jail or something. there are a lot of rules and they do have a curfew to be in the dorms and have a certain time for lights out and they also get everyone up and off to class at a certain time.
i know i am only one person and this is only my opinion but over all i didnt care for job corps. they say they help you get a job when you leave but they were no help to me with that.
if you have any other questions please feel free to ask me.