Billy's Case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Billy's Case - Essay Example A man gauges his position, his benefits, and losses and thus makes a rational choice. A crime or misdeed always comes with its consequences and the person who is guilty of violating the law is liable to punishment. The penalties of crimes differ with the nature of the offense and the circumstances under which the crime was committed. Shoplifting can be defined as the theft of goods or merchandise from a retail establishment. The penalty of shoplifting depends upon the penal code of the state where the theft has taken place. The penalty usually depends upon the retail value of the stolen goods; it can result in a fine or sometimes imprisonment as well in case the retail value of the stolen merchandise is very high or if the shoplifter has a criminal record (Shteir, 2011). In some states, shoplifting comes under the provision of theft or larceny. But even then it is considered a petty theft and the offenders are not charged and sentenced too harshly. While other states differentiate shoplifting from other theft offenses, shoplifters are charged lightly as compared to other theft offenders. Shoplifting is one of the most common types of property theft because the penalty for it is not too high. Rational choice theory posits that crime is a result of rational choices; people weigh both the ends before committing a certain crime. So, if people are under the impression that shoplifting is a petty crime with a low penalty and shoplifters are not sentenced heavily, there is a chance that they might get indulged in shoplifting more than in other crimes, for which the penalties are high. Unlike major thefts, there is a big chance that the offender might get away with shoplifting as it is done during working hours. Surveys and research have proved that most of the shoplifters are amateurs. If the penalties are increased, the people who are not professional criminals will think twice before committing a crime. If the outcome of the offense is not beneficial