Despite stable rates of total juvenile offenses, the most serious offenses appear to be becoming more lethal and to involve younger and younger children. Despite the research findings and the rapidly growing costs of juvenile corrections, legislators face public perceptions that making penalties harsher will improve public safety and welfare. Legislators must also balance effective long-term policy with their constituents' demands for immediate, short-term solutions. Several State legislatures have included early childhood initiatives and other prevention efforts in their juvenile violence prevention packages. However, in all states most fiscal resources are still devoted to reacting to crime after the fact, focusing on punishment and incarceration. However, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Washington demonstrate how some innovative legislators are expanding the policy debate to include consideration of the long-term implications of prevention and early intervention. Photographs