States Attorney Kim Foxx and Sheriff Tom Dart want to decriminalize theft completely.. Only if the items you steal are more than 1,000.00 with ELEVEN prior FELONY convictions can you possibly go to Jail.. If you keep the loot under a grand you can steal forever!

States Attorney Kim Foxx and Sheriff Tom Dart want to decriminalize theft completely..  Only if the items you steal are more than 1,000.00 with ELEVEN prior FELONY convictions can you possibly go to Jail.. If you keep the loot under a grand you can steal forever!

In a decision that will mean fewer people in jail for "nonviolent" crimes, newly elected Cook County top prosecutor Kim Foxx announced this week that she would raise the bar for charging shoplifters with felonies.

According to her office, a suspect would now have to be found with more than $1,000 worth of merchandise or have 10 prior felony convictions in order to be charged with the more serious crime. Otherwise, most incidents of retail theft will be misdemeanors.

"The move clarifies guidelines for how felony retail theft cases will be handled to ensure consistency in charging and to prioritize limited resources," Foxx's office said in a statement on Thursday. "Prosecutors will retain the discretion to review cases and take appropriate action on a case-by-case basis."

While retailers have expressed some frustration at the news, "many" JUST SHERIFF DART, in law enforcement welcome the change. As of this week, chief of policy for Cook County Sheriff's Office Cara Smith told DNA Info that more than100 people are currently in jail awaiting trial for retail-theft cases that were considered felonies.

"This is a population of people who tend to spend a lot of time in the jail," she said, explaining that most offenders are homeless, mentally ill, or battling addiction. "We've been advocating for years that they do not belong there."