Older computers from the 1970s and 1980s were programmed to have six digits for dates, two of them for the year, as "19" implied. When the year 2000 comes, "00," the computer will assume it to be 1900, thus disrupting all operations and records dependent on accurate dating. The newer Pentium computers of the 1990s provide for dating beyond the 20th century. Criminal justice executives must address the problem immediately, first by assessing each agency's computerized operations to determine what segments are currently vulnerable to the Y2K problem and what must be done to remedy any identified problems. This will not be a quick task, as the replacement of existing hardware and any software required for a new system will take time. Any reluctance to fund a major overhaul of an antiquated computer system vulnerable to the Y2K problem can be overcome by reminding policymakers that the lawsuits that will result from failure to address the problem would dwarf any outlays required to solve the problem now.