Theft Reversal: An Overcorrection Procedure for Eliminating Stealing by Retarded Persons1

To deal with the problem of stealing, an overcorrection procedure was designed in which the thief was required to give his victim an item identical to the stolen one in addition to returning the stolen item. This procedure was compared with the more commonly used simple correction procedure (restitution) in which the thief is required to return the stolen item. Under the simple correction procedure, an average of 20 thefts per day had been occurring among 34 retarded residents of an institution. The overcorrection procedure reduced the thefts by 50% on the first day, by 75% on the second day, and eliminated thefts by the fourth day, after which no further stealing occurred. The overcorrection procedure was a rapid and effective method of eliminating stealing, it provided special consideration for the victim, and it should be applicable to the nonretarded.