▁crime ▁and ▁pun ishment ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century , ▁opposition ▁to ▁the ▁Blo ody ▁Code ▁began ▁to ▁grow . ▁The ▁last ▁English ▁execution ▁for ▁shop l ifting ▁was ▁carried ▁out ▁in ▁ 1 8 2 2 , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 2 ▁the ▁House ▁of ▁L ords ▁rec lass ified ▁shop l ifting ▁as ▁a ▁non - cap ital ▁crime . ▁ ▁By ▁the ▁early ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁shop l ifting ▁was ▁believed ▁to ▁be ▁primarily ▁a ▁female ▁activity , ▁and ▁do ctors ▁began ▁to ▁re define ▁some ▁shop l ifting ▁as ▁what ▁Swiss ▁doctor ▁André ▁Matt he y ▁had ▁then ▁newly ▁christ ened ▁" k lop em ania " ▁( k le pt oman ia ), ▁from ▁the ▁Greek ▁words ▁" k le p te in " ▁( ste aling ) ▁and ▁" mania " ▁( ins an ity ). ▁Kle pt oman ia ▁was ▁primarily ▁attributed ▁to ▁wealth y ▁and ▁middle - class ▁women , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁was ▁critic ized ▁by ▁an arch ist ▁Emma ▁Gold man ▁as ▁a ▁way ▁for ▁the ▁rich ▁to ▁exc use ▁their ▁own ▁class ▁from ▁pun ishment , ▁while ▁continu ing ▁to ▁pun ish ▁the ▁poor ▁for ▁the ▁same ▁acts . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁shop l ifting ▁began ▁to ▁be ▁re defined ▁again , ▁this ▁time ▁as ▁a ▁political ▁act . ▁In ▁his ▁ 1 9 7 0 ▁book ▁Do ▁It : ▁Sc en arios ▁of