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Comment by throwaway2037 | Hacker News Reader

throwaway2037

Your quoted first paragraph: You make it sounds like this is something bad. What is wrong with Target's actions? I am confused.

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Target has the opportunity to correct an individual whose punishment will be a misdemeanor but instead chooses to -escalate- the individual's behavior in order to punish them with a felony.

Imagine that the misdemeanor — a fine and a few months in prison — would sufficiently deter an individual from ever stealing again, or at least from Target. Target's theft problem is resolved, and the individual goes on with a more abiding life.

In the actual case, Target allows this person to believe the theft is easy and rewarding. When Target preps the legal case, this person serves years in prison.

Target has lost additional inventory meanwhile, Target has paid for the case-building, the individual serves a long sentence, and the individual loses future job candidacy.

Society also pays for the prison time and must support an individual with a difficult-to-employ problem. Everybody is worse off.

I didn't read OP's paragraph and think that they intended to make Target sound bad, but I was able to make the case myself, I think.

Anecdotal counterpoint: there used to be a r/shoplifting sub. Sure, anyone can lie on the internet, but the advice given there was “do not shoplift from Target; you will get caught, and you will suffer.”

Is your counterpoint the below? Is it claiming that Target's practices don't or shouldn't work?

"All individuals should know to use /r/shoplifting and are therefore impervious to Target's case-building trap."

No, my counterpoint is that Target’s strategy seems to have worked, and also that there exists the possibility that someone would opt to not shoplift at all due to the harsher penalties set by Target, and being unsure how widespread that practice is.

To be clear, I think the actual problem with shoplifting is systemic suppressed wages coupled with inflation and arbitrary price hikes by corporations.

You're saying that people should be aware of Target's practices, which is why it works?

Lots of jurisdictions decline to prosecute misdemeanor theft or apply light sentences for it.

Was going to reply with this. Target is commendable for having patience and catching these people when actual punishment will be given. Thieves consider being caught for misdemeanors just a cost of doing business, like large corporations do when profit made from an illegal deal is 10x what the fine is.

    Imagine that the misdemeanor — a fine and a few months in prison

What kind of place sends people to prison for "a few months" for a misdemeanor? Wait until you or your spouse/child/parent is involved in the criminal justice systems. Everything will change. You will stand face-to-face with the harshness.

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