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Tuesday, Jun. 1, 2021

Are a growing number of US jurisdictions choosing not to prosecute minor thefts?

Austin Tannenbaum, Gigafact
yes

U.S. authorities are increasingly using alternatives to prosecuting minor thefts.

In 2018, Philadelphia classified thefts under $500 as “summary offenses,” which are handled out-of-court and typically result in a fine rather than jail time.

In 2019, the Dallas district attorney said he would no longer prosecute thefts valued under $750, reasoning that few people steal out of hunger and that “putting [them] in jail is not going to make their situation any better.”

District attorneys in Maryland, Florida, North Carolina, Washington and Tennessee have enacted similar reforms, the Texas Tribune reports.

Brooklyn offers accused petty thieves a half-day course instead of a court appearance.

A 2021 study of a Massachusetts county’s decision not to prosecute nonviolent misdemeanors found that it reduced “the likelihood of future criminal involvement…with no apparent increase in local crime rates.”

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

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