BEDFORD, BEDFORD COUNTY - The Bedford County District Attorney's office has launched a new program designed to keep some criminals out of jail. Part of the effort had two women outside of the Bedford County Courthouse on Election Day with signs admitting their guilt in a recent theft case.

The idea behind the Public Punishment Initiative is to make the punishment fit the crime. For a Mother and Daughter pair of defendants, the public humiliation involved with spending time on a public corner admitting their guilt was a big part of their punishment. For several hours on Tuesday Morning , Tina Griekspoor, and her mother, Evelyn Border were on opposite corners of the intersection in front of the Bedford County Courthouse. They were holding signs admitting they stole from a nine year old girl.

 The public admission of guilt was a way for them to stay out of jail. The prosecutor handling their cases pointed out that the public display of guilt was part of a plea agreement, that came before the two defendants appeared in court. As part of that plea agreement, if the two women successfully serve their public punishment, the Commonwealth would agree to ask for probation for the two defendants. The pair were charged with taking Wal-Mart gift cards that belonged the young girl and using the cards on themselves. Evelyn Border says what she did was clearly wrong and she's learned a lesson. While her daughter, Tina Griekspoor, disputes the criminal nature of her actions, she too was still willing to hold the guilty sign outside the courthouse to stay out of jail.

 For many people in the community observing the two women, this Public Punishment Initiative makes sense, especially if it encourages guilty people to accept responsibility for their actions. For the prosecutors handling the case, different forms of punishment are useful. These Bedford County Authorities say they expect to expand this public punishment initiative with the help of County Judges in the future.