A large specific deterrent effect of arrest for patronizing a prostitute.
BACKGROUND
Prior research suggests that arrest, compared with no police detection, of some types of offenders does not decrease the chances they will reoffend.


RESULTS
We assessed the specific deterrent effect of arrest for patronizing a street prostitute in Colorado Springs by comparing the incidence of arrest for clients of prostitutes first detected through public health surveillance with the incidence of rearrest for clients first detected by police arrest. Although these sets of clients were demographically and behaviorally similar, arrest reduced the likelihood of a subsequent arrest by approximately 70%. In other areas of the United States, arrest did not appear to displace a client's patronizing.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that apprehending clients decreases their patronizing behavior substantially.
Brewer
Devon D
DD
Interdisciplinary Scientific Research, Seattle, Washington, United States of America. interscientific@yahoo.com
Potterat
John J
JJ
Muth
Stephen Q
SQ
Roberts
John M
JM
D003120:Colorado; D003415:Crime; D057237:Criminals; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000635:transmission; D006801:Humans; D035846:Law Enforcement; D008297:Male; D016495:Police; D011159:Population Surveillance; D011477:Sex Work / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data