Prostitution should be legalized in order to regulate the world's "oldest trade" that has constantly defied attempts by authority to suppress it ("Street cleaning," 1991, p. A28). Banning prostitution has not only failed to eradicate the trade, but has transformed the trade into a seedy world of criminals, pimps, and disease-ridden prostitutes contributing to the health risks of society. A Dutch town hall official's comment captures the reality of the situation in the Netherlands succinctly: "If an industry is unregulated and criminalised then it's going to be run by criminals" (Sissons, 1999, p. 27). Furthermore, government authorities have expended a tremendous amount of resources in their attempts to enforce prostitution laws, leading to widespread police abuse of the system and the diversion of resources away from more serious crimes, such as homicides. In a regulated setting, the government can also benefit from the taxes it collects from the prostitutes and the brothels. Most importantly, it brings the trade of the prostitution into the open, freeing it from the domination of criminals who govern the underground world.
From the perspective of the prostitutes, legalization can provide a healthier and safer work environment for them and their customers. Although some women's groups view prostitutes as victims of society, there are prostitutes' rights groups who want to improve the working conditions of the prostitutes (Otchet, 1998, p. 37-38). In this less-than-perfect world, the latter is a more sensible option.
In spite of its illegal status, the prostitution industry continues to enjoy a strong clientele. In 1991, slightly more than ten percent of American men had acquired the services of a prostitute within the last five years ("Street Cleaning," 1991, p. A28). Currently, there are more than 500,000 prostitutes in America. According to researchers from the Rand Corporation studying prostitution in Los Angeles in 1991, t...