Burlington Coat Factory Expands Deployment of Corrective Education Company's Restorative Justice Education Program

OREM, UT--(Marketwired - Jun 5, 2014) - Corrective Education Company (CEC), a leading provider of Restorative Justice Education Programs, today announced that Burlington Coat Factory will be expanding the deployment of its restorative justice education program to more of its locations. Burlington Coat Factory, a national off-price apparel, home and baby products retailer, operating more than 500 stores in the United States and Puerto Rico, initially launched the program in four of its high risk locations in January of 2014. Intent on monitoring the progress of the program for 90 days, clear and measureable results lead to the decision to expand the solution after 45 days of deployment.

"This is a program that is a win-win for everybody. The Retailer, Law Enforcement and the Offender," stated James Connelly, Senior Vice President of Asset Protection for Burlington Stores. "I see no reason not to utilize CEC as part of any retailer's Loss Prevention program."

Shoplifting continues to present enormous challenges for retailers, the criminal justice system, law enforcement and society. Unfortunately, the most common methods of dealing with these crimes are expensive for retailers and communities; the additional pressures to the already overburdened criminal justice system and a negative spiral that can be life altering for individual offenders invites the need for a better solution.

Studies have also shown that when individuals complete CEC's restorative justice program, the likelihood of recidivism consistently drops to below 5%. In addition, the cost of apprehension can drop by more than $200 per incident due to labor and timesavings while restitution rates generally rise anywhere between 50 to 80%.

"Our mission at CEC is to create and deploy alternative ways to deal with offenders that is not only fair to all parties involved, but also protects the rights of the retailers and offenders," stated Darrell Huntsman, Founder and CEO of CEC. "We are pleased that Burlington Coat Factory has implemented our solution. Our education programs and proprietary intake and management system ensure that retailers receive the justice they deserve while helping their communities by reducing the burden on the criminal justice system and offering offenders the support and tools they need to help change the course of their lives."

The CEC Restorative Justice Program is offered to retailers at no cost, as the program is fully funded by the offender. Retailers can also choose to be compensated for entering the offender information into CEC's database. Another advantage to the CEC solution is its ability to share the information with the Burlington Coat Factory's case management system, so there is no need to duplicate the data entry process. The key components of the solution include:

• Mobile Device Technologies, including iPads and Finger Print scanners - These technology solutions are deployed at every retail location to capture offender information.
• Cloud-based analytics and reporting tools - Information captured on the mobile devices are stored in a secure, cloud-based database. At any time, retailers can access the analytics and create reports to better understand in-store loss prevention and CEC program effectiveness. This program also integrates with law enforcement systems to further improve efficiencies.
• Online Education Program - CEC has developed a proprietary and proven online cognitive restructuring and life-skills course that provides the "will and skills" for offenders to change their lives. Retailers can track offender progress through the online database and reporting tools.
  
  

The program has four distinctive steps. Once the offender is apprehended, he or she may be qualified for the program. Qualifications are established by the retailer and may be determined by age, repeat offenses, criminal history, or the value of the merchandise stolen. If the offender qualifies for the CEC program, an incident report is created on a mobile device and the offender is shown a video about the diversion program. The offender is then offered the program under free will. If the offender accepts the offer, CEC will contact the offender with details about the diversion program, including program structure and costs. When the offender pays for and completes the program, his or her information is stored in the online database and monitored for repeat offenses. Retailers can track offenders' program progress through CEC's cloud-based analytics and reporting tools.

About CEC
CEC works with individuals, retailers, government officials, law enforcement agencies, security firms, parents and schools to provide a successful, equitable and more efficient alternative to judicial prosecution. Using innovative technology and proven online educational tools, CEC is building accountability that drives changes, unites communities and promotes trust. CEC's retail loss prevention program reduces shrink, enhances retailers' loss prevention efforts without adding any costs or complexities to current programs, and decreases government workload related to petty crimes. The program also includes a self-guided online life-skills course that provides offenders with the tools and training they need to move beyond past mistakes. For more information, visit www.correctiveeducation.com.