DSW, Inc. Adopts Corrective Education Company's Restorative Justice Education Program

OREM, UT--(Marketwired - Dec 3, 2014) - Corrective Education Company (CEC), a leading provider of Restorative Justice Education Programs, today announced that DSW, Inc. has made the decision to incorporate the CEC Restorative Justice Education solution into its Loss Prevention program. DSW Inc., headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, is a leading branded footwear, handbag and accessories retailer that offers a wide selection of brand name and designer fashion for women, men and kids. DSW operates 431 stores in 42 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. DSW also supplies footwear to 370 leased locations in the United States under the Affiliated Business Group.

"DSW was looking for an alternate method of dealing with shoplifters in our stores, one that aligns with our core values," said Jordan Rivchun, Senior Manager of Investigations for DSW. "While every retailers' objective is to reduce losses and stem shoplifting in their locations, we were looking for solution that could not only deliver on that objective, but one that offered a compassionate approach for those individuals who may have simply made a bad choice."

According to the most recent National Retail Security Survey, shoplifting contributes to more than one-third of retailers' losses. Processing petty theft through the criminal justice system can be time-consuming and expensive for the retailer and oftentimes ineffective as measured by the number of first-time offenders who are processed through the system again in the future. When individuals complete CEC's Restorative Justice Education program, data shows that recidivism consistently drops below 5%. The program's streamlined approach to building a case against the offender has also shown cost savings of up to $200 per incident due to labor and time savings.

"DSW now joins the list of prestigious retailers that are looking to change the way petty crimes are handled through the deployment of our Restorative Justice Education Program," stated Darrell Huntsman, Founder and CEO of CEC. "Our approach to petty theft has proven to be effective in helping individuals get the support they need though education that helps them put their lives back on track, which ultimately has a positive impact on their communities."

The CEC Restorative Justice Education program is fully funded by the offenders and is offered to retailers at no cost. Eligibility for participation in the program is defined by the individual retailer's corporate policies, but is intended for first time offenders who have committed petty crimes. The program is compatible with 3^rd party case management programs and CEC also offers a secure web portal. Another advantage to the CEC solution is its ability to share the information with outside case management systems, so there is no need to duplicate the data entry process. The key components of the solution include:

• Mobile and Desktop Device Technologies, including iPads and Web Portals - These technology solutions are deployed at every retail location to capture offender information.
• Cloud-based analytics and reporting tools - Information captured on the mobile and desktop 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.

"At DSW, we have a team of loss prevention professionals who are responsible for a large number of locations. Anytime we can deploy technology that helps us streamline our processes, save time and energy, and be a better partner to both law enforcement and the communities we operate in, we consider that to be a force multiplier. CEC delivers on all points," concluded Rivchun.

About CEC
 CEC has set the retail standard for Restorative Justice by increasing overall restitution dollars at no additional cost to retailers. CEC has provided retailers with a new way to process low risk offenders who are detained for retail theft. Our innovative education curriculum, mobile data collection technology, and law enforcement and prosecutor approved process saves time, reduces cost and increases restitution. For more information, visit www.correctiveeducation.com.