The National Association for Shoplifting Prevention (NASP), the nation’s leader in shoplifting prevention initiatives, now is offering their most effective self-help programs online: For Adults – Shoplifters Alternative Course (SA Course), and For Youth – Youth Educational Shoplifting Program (Y.E.S.). The Y.E.S. Program has been available online since the beginning of this year. How effective are these educational programs? According to a study conducted by the Superior Court of Washington for King County, of the 1,040 juvenile shoplifting offenders who enrolled in the Y.E.S. Program between January 2004 and December 2007, 94.7% were not re-arrested for shoplifting!
What Is The Secret To NASP’s Success?
Studies have found that while prosecuting shoplifting crimes may satisfy a debt to society, an educational component must be a part of the equation in order to effectively reduce the recidivism rate (the rate at which shoplifters will re-offend).
Unlike many other loss prevention programs, NASP’s programs are based on comprehensive research of shoplifting offenders. NASP data bears out that shoplifting often is a maladaptive way for people to cope with the stresses in their lives, a similar psychology to drinking, drug use or overeating. The NASP approach delivers these much-needed self-help programs directly to shoplifters, helping them to understand their actions while empowering them to change their behavior.
Why We Should All Care About Shoplifting Prevention
According to loss prevention industry statistics, over 27 million people, including adults and juveniles, steal from retailers annually. This translates to approximately 550,000 shoplifting incidents per day and results in over $13 billion in goods stolen every year. These losses affect everyone: retailers who often are forced to cut back their staff and raise their prices, consumers who ultimately must pay more as a result, and local governments that lose state sales tax revenue and in turn raise taxes to compensate for it. Additionally, shoplifting imposes an unwelcome burden on local police and the courts.
About The Programs
The SA Course and Y.E.S. Program are available online and in both English and Spanish on audio CD. The programs help shoplifters understand why they steal through interactive questions and answers. Aside from helping shoplifters of all ages to change their behavior, enrollment in these programs also demonstrates a shoplifter’s commitment to taking responsibility for his or her actions – something the courts view favorably. The cost of enrollment is $75.
About NASP
Since its inception in 1977, NASP’s ongoing collaboration with law enforcement, criminal and juvenile justice, the retail industry and local communities has been the basis for its programs and services. For over 30 years, NASP has been setting the shoplifting prevention standard with its research-based, results-driven educational intervention programs, and has helped to significantly reduce the shoplifting recidivism rate.
For more information, or to sign up for NASP’s SA Course for Adults (in English or Spanish) or Y.E.S. Program for Youth, visit http://www.shopliftingprevention.org. Or call toll-free: 1-800-848-9595.
