Young Shoplifters To Be Given Jobs In Shops

Young shoplifters in the UK may soon face a punishment far worse than jail. A new program would force them to work weekends in restaurants or in retail stores. The program is designed to keep the children from having a lasting record, and teach them just how terrible working with the public can be. Not everyone thinks it's a good idea to put the little foxes in the hen house however. From the article: "But local shopkeepers have expressed discomfort with the scheme. Tina Sayer, who works at city center store Planet News, said, 'Everybody deserves a second chance, but you would have to be very careful what position you put them in. I believe that a leopard does not change its spots.' She stressed, 'I know that's cynical but I would not be comfortable with shoplifters having anything to do with cash or with stock.'"

Comments

An interesting thought, but flawed implementation

[Millennium]

Letting the foxes run the henhouse is a bad idea, but the idea of putting these people into service-industry jobs for a while is appealing: something to teach respect for the people who work jobs like this.

Actual retail, though is probably not a good choice, for reasons mentioned above. Perhaps custodial services might work better, or (for older offenders) even some kind of unskilled construction? Tech support in a call center may work for the more technically-savvy offenders. Something which carries similar public scorn, but without the possibility of simply committing the same sorts of crimes that they're supposed to be sentenced for.

It's a thought, anyway.

What are they smoking?

[Locke2005]

Has anybody informed these geniuses that the majority of "shrinkage" in the average retail shop comes not from shoplifting, but rather from employee theft?

I've go my eye on you boy

[ninjacheeseburger]

I want a job in a video game store, why go to an interview when I can get the job and a free copy of modern warfare 2?