i am not sure what is right or wrong?It is not a victimless
crime--shoplifting.
'No jail for
shoplifters' anger--
It is not a victimless crime
British Retail Consortium
Retailers have attacked a plan which would see most people who
are arrested for shoplifting avoid a jail term.
The Sentencing Advisory Panel suggested jail should be reserved for
cases with "aggravating" factors such as violence.
The British Retail Consortium said the plan would give would-be
thieves the "wrong message" on an offence which cost the UK £588m
in 2004.
The panel also suggested an alternative plan - to jail "seriously
persistent" shoplifters for up to eight weeks.
'Licence to take'
In its first plan, the panel, which is seeking views on both
proposals, said the top sentence should normally be a "high-level
community order".
Richard Dodd, of the British Retail Consortium which represents 85%
of retailers in the country, said it was "disgusted" by the
plan.
"It is like offering a licence to people to go into stores and take
things without paying," he said.
But pressure group SmartJustice, which campaigns for alternatives
to custody, says most jailed shoplifters re-offend after being
released.
"You've got to look at is why these people are committing these
crimes," said SmartJustice's Sinead Hanks.
"It's mainly for drugs. We support the use of drug
rehabilitation... to stop them offending in the first place."
The proposals come as the prison system in England and Wales is
nearly full.
'Radical departure'
The Sentencing Advisory Panel is a government-appointed body which
recommends sentencing changes to the Sentencing Guidelines
Council.
Its report recognised that the "no jail" option would be a "radical
departure" from the present practice.
"The most severe sentence for a standard offence of theft from a
shop would be a high-level community order, even where an offender
may have failed to comply with such an order in the past," it
added.
Factors which could lead to a custodial sentence included using
violence, operating in gangs, using children to commit the offence
or targeting vulnerable victims.
A second option would allow jailing for a standard offence when
committed by a "seriously persistent" offender.
Responses to the paper can be made up to 16 November, before the
panel considers its final report.
The BRC said the cost of the offence worked out as adding
£1 on the weekly shopping for every household in the country.
"It is not a victimless crime," Mr Dodd said.
'Visible work'
Shadow home affairs minister Edward Garnier called the panel's
proposals "a significant softening" of the punishment for
shoplifting.
And Liberal Democrat home affairs spokesman Mark Hunter called for
a "better system of public service sentences" for offences such as
shoplifting such as litter-picking and cleaning up graffiti.
In 2004, 61,670 adults in England and Wales were sentenced for
shoplifting, with about 21% of them jailed.
Since November 2004, police have been able to deal with shoplifting
cases up to the value of £200 with on-the-spot fines. Just over
14,000 fines were issued in the first nine months of 2005.
It is not a victimless crime
British Retail Consortium
SENTENCING ADVISORY PANEL
An independent body which is required to consult widely on possible
changes to sentencing.
The 15 members are appointed by the lord chancellor, in
consultation with the home secretary and lord chief justice.
They include former judges, magistrates, academics, senior police
officers and prison governors
Their recommendations are sent to the Sentencing Guidelines
Council, which advises courts on sentencing