The rise of Inflation makes already-outdated criminal laws more punitive each year. In Washington State, one can be charged with Felony Theft in the Second Degree for stealing property or services over a mere $750.00. This means the theft of everyday items now qualify as felonies, leading to harsher punishments (prison instead of jail).
Updating felony theft statutes is one simple way to reduce the number of people serving time in prison for low-level offenses. Making more minor thefts into misdemeanors will also spare more people from the often lifelong collateral consequences of felony convictions that can limit their access to public housing, welfare benefits, and even voting.
Legislatures are urged to raise dollar amounts for felony theft to reflect inflation, with some evidence showing this doesn’t increase crime. Decreasing the punishment for minor thefts is unlikely to encourage more thefts. As Pew Charitable Trusts found in their invaluable 2018 report, States Can Safely Raise Their Felony Theft Thresholds, Research Shows, South Carolina’s property crime rates actually continued to fall years after the threshold increased.
This isn’t unique to South Carolina, either. Pew’s article also included a brief comparison of crime rates in all 50 states, reporting that between 2000 and 2012, the 30 states that increased their thresholds had property crime rates similar to the 20 states that had not yet updated their laws.
My opinion? Keeping laws up-to-date is critical to saving taxpayer dollars and improving the effectiveness of Washington’s criminal-justice system. Updating the state’s theft statute is one small step to take to make Washington smarter on crime. Punishment for property-crime offenders must also focus on the victims of these crimes. An offender in prison isn’t working to reimburse his or her victim for the value of the stolen property. Instead, the victims pay, through tax dollars, to support the people who have wronged them.
Please contact my office if you, a friend or family member are charged with Theft or any other crime. Hiring an effective and competent defense attorney is the first and best step toward justice.
