Data were actual 1982 unit-cost per day figures for correctional processing in Peoria, Ill.; Indianapolis, Ind.; and Grand Rapids, Mich. The 25-year criminal careers of the hypothetical offenders began at age 16 with the first offense and continued through incarceration as an adult felon. A variety of correctional services are encompassed in the processing. This study parallels a 1972 study by Mark Richmond that used corrections cost averages reported to the President's Crime Commission in 1965. Michigan costs for the offender were approximately $208,000, Illinois costs were almost $205,000, and Indiana costs were $150,000. Cost variations may reflect differences in the amount and type of services provided, varying methods of cost calculation, and variations in data accuracy. The need to selectively incapacitate offenders, implications of the overlap and interaction of criminal justice system components, the inability to calculate the social costs of crime, and the failure to develop accurate prediction models calls for additional research that will produce a more cost-effective approach in corrections. 7 tables and 30 references.