STOPLIFT PROGRAM Administrative Office 175 Fulton Avenue, 4th Floor Hempstead, NY 11550 (516) 489-7929 1-800-244-STOP

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Purpose: The purpose of the STOPLIFT Program is to prevent recurring shoplifting behaviors by working with first-time offenders in an educational program. STOPLIFT has been operating since 1981. The program currently works with the Nassau, Suffolk, Brooklyn, Bronx, Queens and Manhattan court systems, serving adults in all jurisdictions, and juveniles in Nassau and Suffolk Counties through the Family Court and Probation Department.

Description: STOPLIFT is an education and remediation program for beginning offenders charged with shoplifting. It is a sentencing alternative that is used by the Court either as a pre-trial referral or as a condition of sentence. Through a full day Saturday class with workshops and assessments, shoplifting behavior is examined, legal and social consequences are discussed, needs are identified and problems that led to the behavior are addressed. A teacher and a social worker facilitate the program.
       Referrals to STOPLIFT are made directly by the presiding judges (adults) and probation officers (juveniles). A program fee ($125 for adults, $100 for juveniles) is charged to offset expenses. A sliding scale is offered where appropriate. Classes are held at specified locations in each county. For jurisdictions that offer juvenile classes, program services are also held on Saturdays. A parent or guardian accompanies all juveniles. In addition to the material covered in the adult program, the juvenile class includes help for parents on setting limits and managing their child’s behavior.
       A 1995 study of 100 randomly selected clients who successfully completed the program in 1990 found that only one client (1%) was rearrested for shoplifting.

Funding: The program receives funding through the NYS Department of Probation and Correctional Alternatives and New York City Council, supplemented by client fees.