Allure of Crime

When she was 21, Julia Sweeney got a job as a bartender's assistant and stole between ten and fifteen thousand dollars in cash. She describes the thrill of stealing, and how she justified her thefts to herself, and—oddest of all—how she became a more religious Roman Catholic during her crime spree. Julia Sweeney's an actress and writer, a former cast member at Saturday Night Live; and star of her autobiographical movie God Said Ha!. (14 minutes)

No one knows how much theft is committed each year by senior citizens. One study found that seniors comprise 15 percent of people apprehended for shoplifting. Seniors of course, tend to be poorer than other Americans, but counselors who work with senior shoplifters say that many of them aren't stealing out of need. About half of senior shoplifters have stolen all their lives. Documentary filmmaker Jeanne C. Finley talks with an elderly shoplifter to find out why. (15 minutes)