da. According to the Uniform Crime Reports for 1990, there were 43,224 prostitution-related arrests in the nation. This represented an increase from 36,093 in 1977, and an increase of 4.2% over 1989 (cited in Barry, 1995, p. 224). The breakdown of statistics also repeatedly affirms the contention that "the sanctioning of prostitutes is much more rigorous than the sanctioning of prostitutes' clients" (Belknap, 1996, p. 50). As Barry notes, in San Francisco a single year's arrest totals for prostitutes and clients were 2,938 and 325, respectively. And, though 419 of the prostitutes served jail time, none of the clients did (Barry, 1995, p. 226). Considering the fact that there are probably at least 10 clients for each prostitute, there is a clear disproportion in assigning criminal culpability.
Outside Nevada there are very few brothels in the U.S. A Rand Corporation study of Los Angeles uncovered only a few Asian-run brothels, staffed by illegal immigrants. So-called escort services and other call-girl arrangements constitute only a small percentage of the remainder. The great majority of American prostitutes are streetwalkers, who are usually run by pimps, and have HIV infection rates as high as 50% (New York and Washington) and 60% (Newark) ("Street," 1991, p. A28). Aside from the cost to the public health, monetary costs of policing and prosecuting prostitution are enormous. "In many cities 1 in 10 of the police force works on vice; often half of its prisons' female inmates are prostitutes; and courts are jammed with streetwalkers," leading one UCLA researcher to conclude that prostitution costs the city of Los Angeles at least $100 million each year ("Street," 1991, p. A28).
Arguments in Favor of Legalized Prostitution
It should be noted that those who argue in favor of legalization universally reject both coerced prostitution and the prostitution of anyone under the age of 18. The problem is, of course, that c...