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I don't see how you get from these programs to something positive. So a woman in a wheelchair is shaken down by a low-paid security guard for $500 for a $2 pur
by username223 9y ago
I don't see how you get from these programs to something positive. So a woman in a wheelchair is shaken down by a low-paid security guard for $500 for a $2 purse she may or may not have tried to steal. The logical next step is for the security guard to shake her down for $50 to make the whole thing go away. Either way it's extortion, and it's the inevitable result of for-profit law enforcement (see civil asset forfeiture).
- dahdum 9y agoCompared to the alternative? Yes, I think it's better she goes through the program then gets booked on misdemeanor shoplifting. I also think it's better that a dumb kid gets the program instead of entering the judicial system. And if they don't take the program, they still have the exact same opportunity to plead their case to the court. The details still need to be hashed out, but this is meant as a compassionate program.
- username223 9y ago> this is meant as a compassionate program. No, this is meant as a business making money off accused petty criminals. Basic human decency suggests that you take the purse back to the shelf, let the lady in the wheelchair roll out the door, and make a note to watch her if she comes back. If she's shopping at a Goodwill, she's hardly wealthy, and if she's stealing $2 purses, taking $500 from her won't solve any problems.