By Laura Mueller
An organization dedicated to helping troubled women is expanding its services to offer a shoplifting prevention program for men.
“We just want to provide programs that there is a need for,” says Tania Hasbani, director of community programming for the Ottawa branch of the Elizabeth Fry Society. “We are not trying to duplicate programs that exist.”
The society normally provides counselling, education and housing programs to assist women or female youth who have or may be at risk of coming into conflict with the law. Hasbani says some groups have cut back on court-related programs because an overall lack of funding for non-profit organizations and an extensive approval process required by funders.
“I can count on one hand the number of organizations that offer court-related programs (in Ottawa),” she says.
Bethany Hedley, the treasurer and incoming president, says the organization also decided to offer a program for men to complement and enhance their existing programs for women.
Hedley says the society’s board of directors approved the program after minimal hesitation.
“Basically, the issue was ‘Does it comply with our mandate?’ ”
Currently, if a woman is convicted of shoplifting for the first time, she can be sentenced to participate in the society’s shoplifting prevention program and the crime will be wiped off her record.
However, if a couple is convicted of shoplifting together, the court prevents the woman from participating in the program because no equivalent program exists for the man.
Hedley says the high number of couples convicted of shoplifting means fewer women are able to use the program.
The theft-prevention program is delivered in six-, eight- and 12-week modules and deal with self-esteem, theft behaviour, loneliness, aggression and financial planning.
Hasbani says the women’s shoplifting deterrence program has a high success rate because it deals with the root causes of theft behaviour.
She says it is a common misconception that people steal because they are greedy. It is far more common for shoplifters to steal because of a void in their lives. Hasbani says that many of the people she works with suffer from depression.
“It’s not about condoning behaviour, but about addressing why they do it,” she says.
The men’s program will be similar to the women’s program, but will be run by a male.
“We are trying to strengthen the family unit as a whole,” Hasbani says.
By filling the need for a men’s program, Hasbani says her organization can also strengthen its case for funding.
“We are less likely to get funding because we serve a minority. By serving both men and women, we have a better chance.”
The program will cost $2 for each session, but will be free for those unable to pay.