NCJ Number
133072
Date Published
1991
Length
97 pages
Annotation
An experimental program carried out in Rotterdam, Netherlands to reduce juvenile shoplifting is evaluated.
Abstract
The program involves alternative settlement; if caught shoplifting, juveniles are sent directly to the program by the police. They are offered the opportunity to avoid prosecution, provided they carry out work for the injured party. If such work is satisfactory, the case is disposed of and there is no criminal record. In essence, the program combines diversion and mediation. Advantages of the program relate to minimizing additional burdens on the juvenile justice system, avoiding the stigmatizing side effects of judicial contact, and satisfying the injured party. At the start of the program, the number of referrals lagged behind expectations, probably because storekeepers were not always willing to notify the police. Simplification of the notification procedures and propaganda on the program increased the number of referrals. During the 2-year experimental period, 153 juvenile shoplifters were referred and 143 cases were settled alternatively. The mean time between offense and the start of working for the injured party was about 5.5 weeks. In almost all cases, work was carried out in the shops where the juveniles had been caught. Among juveniles who came into contact with the program, almost 50 percent were from ethnic minorities; the mean age was 15 years, and boys were referred twice as often as girls. Alternatively settled juveniles tended to show a stronger reduction in shoplifting than a control group. 57 references, 25 tables, and 1 figure