The John Howard Society has been delivering The Shoplifting Prevention Program since 2010, which emphasizes that the offender needs to take responsibility for their actions.
The goal of the program is for participants to become aware of why people shoplift, and how to stop. This is achieved through education and self-reflection. Participants learn that their thoughts and emotions affect their actions, and how to change those negative behaviours.
Core elements
- Recognizing the underlying causes of shoplifting
- Understanding the impact and consequences of shoplifting
- Developing life skills that can be applied to shoplifting, reduce the chance of reoffending, and build self-awareness and strong, healthy relationships
Benefits to the community
- Promotes crime prevention
- Creates healthy relationships
- Builds self-awareness
- Educates participants on the causes and consequences of their shoplifting
- Works on impulse control
- Enhances partnerships with other community groups
- Lowers consumer cost
What happens
- Referral to Program
- Meet with the parties involved
- Shoplifting Prevention Program Agreement
- Referrals to other programs and agencies if needed
- Completion
- Evaluation
- Report to the referring agency
Referrals accepted from
- The Central Okanagan RCMP
- Crown Council
*Please note, it may take two weeks before we receive the referral*
For more information on Shoplifting Prevention Program, please contact us at:
The goals of our Shoplifting Prevention Program are to:
- The shoplifting prevention program is designed to put emphasis on the offender to take responsibility for their actions
- The participant repairs the damage done to the community by completing the program and becoming aware of why people shoplift, and how to stop
Admission criteria:
- Person who caused harm over 18 years of age
- Minimal RCMP interaction
- The person who caused harm acknowledges and accepts responsibility