THESE CALCULATIONS ARE BASED ON PREVIOUS STUDIES OF EARLY OFFENDERS APPREHENDED, BUT NOT NECESSARILY ARRESTED, FOR INDEX AND NONINDEX OFFENSES. AVAILABLE EVIDENCE SUGGESTS THAT SUCH YOUTHS ACCOUNT FOR SIZEABLE FUTURE CRIME COSTS. PREVENTION PROGRAMS TARGETED TO POSSIBLE YOUNG OFFENDERS ARE JUSTIFIED ON THE BASIS THAT THEY COST RELATIVELY LITTLE. UNFORTUNATELY, PAST EFFORTS HAVE PROVED LARGELY INEFFECTIVE. WHILE IT SEEMS HARD TO JUSTIFY A SIZEABLE COMMITMENT TO JUVENILE CRIME PREVENTION PROGRAMS ON THE BASIS OF PAST EXPERIENCE, THE COSTS OF CRIMES COMMITTED BY EARLY MINOR OFFENDERS SUGGESTS THERE SHOULD BE SOME NEW OR RENEWED PREVENTION PROGRAMS BUT THEY SHOULD BE SMALL, CAREFULLY EVALUATED, AND FUNDED FOR SHORT TERMS.