By Jim Utter
Director of Journalism
One district court judge in Michigan has come up with a unique way to punish those convicted of shoplifting – and helping the customers of the retailer they robbed.
Earlier this week, Genesee County District Court Judge Jeffrey Clothier offered up an alternative punishment for 48 people convicted of shoplifting from a local Walmart – washing cars for free in the retailer’s parking lot.
While car washing hasn’t been widely used as a formal punishment for crimes, there have been instances where community service involving washing cars has been imposed as part of a sentence.
This form of punishment is usually aimed at rehabilitating offenders and making them contribute positively to society. It’s more common for minor offenses or first-time offenders, where the goal is to provide a constructive experience rather than a punitive one.
According to a report by WJRT TV 12 out of Flint, Michigan, Clothier sentenced the shoplifters to wash cars for free during four weekends in March and April outside the Walmart in Grand Blanc Township.
All those convicted have shoplifted merchandise from the store over the past several months.
The car washes will be free and open to the public. They are tentatively scheduled – weather permitting – for the last weekend of March and the first three weekends of April.
Details on the hours of operation will be made available closer to the start.
Grand Blanc Township officials said each of the people convicted of shoplifting will still be required to pay the court an amount equal to the value of the merchandise they stole.
Each of the shoplifters was offered the option of serving a jail sentence if they did not want to take part in the public car wash.
