Let's be clear - shoplifting is theft and theft is a crime and can never be 'justified'.
The court will decide an appropriate sentence. However, if a first-time offender admits guilt, there are 'out of court disposal' options available but these must also be meaningful punishment that deter future offending or what's the point?
I've introduced 'Immediate Justice' in Sussex where first-time offenders have to undertake manual work like cleaning graffiti and litter-picking, in order to put things right. We've seen that over 80% on this programme do not re-offend so we know it works.
