Public shaming as an alternative to prison

At a time when violent crimes. are increasing, police officers no. longer bother to investigate these. types of offences, leaving businessmen. fed up and frustrated. In. response, many retail stores have. begun posting photos of shoplifters. in-store when they are caught. in the act by security cameras.

The question is, given the lack. of faith in the legal system where. it often seems like no justice is. being served, is public shaming. an effective alternative to incarceration?. Shoplifters and thieves regularly. target businesses, sometimes. hitting the same business several. times without being caught. This. was the case of the above-mentioned. perpetrators who had. succeeded before. This time, they. were not so lucky and were found. with thousands of dollars worth. of items.

The supermarket owner expressed. his frustration with police. inaction, having made previous. reports. Some might think. this incident of public shaming. was a fitting punishment while. others would think it’s harsh.

What was an effective alternative?. A quick online search reveals. numerous instances where US. judges have ordered creative sentences. which would be deemed. public shaming. An article by. Peter Holley in the Washington. Post in May 2015 refers to Ohio. judge Michael Cicconetti as the. master of creative sentencing.

It states that his signature. judgment is to offer a small percentage. of first-time offenders. a choice between a traditional. sentence as well as a creative one. more fitting to their crime.

In addition to community service,. fines or some combination. thereof, here are five weird sentences. that were handed down. over the years by various US. judges that included holding up. signs in public:. * A man who had referred to a. police officer as a “pig” was order. to stand beside a live pig with a. sign that read, “This is not a police. officer.”. * A woman was ordered to. two days of standing on a corner. during rush-hour traffic holding. a sign that said, “Only an idiot. would drive on the sidewalk to. avoid a school bus.”. * A couple was sentenced to. holding signs reading “I am a. thief ” at a busy Houston intersection. for five hours every weekend. for six years. They also had to. post a sign in front of their home. reading, “The occupants of this. residence (names mentioned) are. convicted thieves.”. *A man and woman who vandalised. a nativity scene had to. lead a donkey through the streets. carrying a sign that said, “Sorry. for the jack--- offence.”. *A teenage boy who robbed. an adult video store was ordered. to sit outside the store wearing a. blindfold and holding a sign that. read, “See no evil.”. Community service sentences. are becoming very common in. dealing with first-time offenders,. as well as a cost-effective alternative. to incarceration. Maybe in. reviewing our legal system, our. own judges can exercise their discretion. when handing down sentences.

Sometimes justice does. not always warrant incarceration,. but public humiliation.

VASHTI BOWLAH. via email. .