IT IS SUGGESTED THAT THERE HAS BEEN A RETURN TO THE CONCEPT OF IMPRISONMENT AS PRIMARILY A DETERRENT TO CRIME. TO TEST THE PRACTICAL APPLICATION OF THIS THEORY, THE DETERRENT EFFECT OF THE IMPRISONMENT OF BANK ROBBERS IS ANALYZED. MUCH OF THE DATA USED WERE TAKEN FROM A LONGITUDINAL EXAMINATION OF BANK ROBBERY IN THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK, 1 OF THE 91 FEDERAL DISTRICT COURT JURISDICTIONS. SOME 500 BANK ROBBERY CASES WHICH CAME BEFORE THE FEDERAL COURT IN BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, OVER THE PERIOD 1964-1975 WERE ANALYZED. ALTHOUGH BANK ROBBERY CAN BE A STATE AS WELL AS A FEDERAL OFFENSE, LAW ENFORCEMENT POLICY IN THE NEW YORK CITY AREA, OF WHICH THE EASTERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK IS A PART, IS SUCH THAT MOST BANK ROBBERIES ARE PROSECUTED IN THE FEDERAL COURT. THE FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION CLAIMS AN 80-PERCENT ARREST RATE FOR BANK ROBBERY. ADDITIONALLY, 84.9 PERCENT OF BANK ROBBERY DEFENDANTS WERE CONVICTED AND SENTENCED. OF THESE, 90 PERCENT RECEIVED PRISON SENTENCES, AVERAGING 10 YEARS PER DEFENDANT. NOTING THAT ALL OF THE QUALITIES FOR EFFECTIVE DETERRENCE THROUGH SANCTIONS APPLY IN BANK ROBBERY, IT IS REPORTED THAT THE NUMBER OF PERSONS COMMITTING THIS CRIME CONTINUES TO RISE. PART OF THE REASON FOR THE SEEMING INEFFECTIVENESS OF DETERRENCE THROUGH THE THREAT OF IMPRISONMENT IS BELIEVED TO BE THE NATURE OF THE BANK ROBBERY DURING THE STUDY PERIOD. IN 1964, THE TYPICAL BANK ROBBER WAS A WHITE MALE IN HIS LATE 20'S OR EARLY 30'S WHO CAREFULLY PLANNED ROBBERIES FOR MAXIMUM LOOT AND LIMITED RISKS. SINCE THEN THE BANK ROBBER HAS TENDED TO BE A BLACK MALE IN HIS EARLY OR MID-20'S WHO DOES LITTLE PLANNING AND WHOSE ASSOCIATES ARE OFTEN LOOSELY SELECTED FOR A PARTICULAR ROBBERY. IT IS CONCLUDED THAT THE PROFESSIONAL ROBBERS OF THE EARLY 1960'S HAVE BEEN DETERRED BY THE HIGH RISK ASSOCIATED WITH ROBBING BANKS, BUT THE NEW BREED OF ROBBER DOES NOT ASSOCIATE HIS CRIME WITH THE POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES. INTERVIEWS WITH DEFENDANTS INDICATE THAT THEY DO NOT KNOW OR APPRECIATE THE HARSH PUNISHMENT ASSOCIATED WITH THE CRIME. A MEDIA CAMPAIGN ADVERTISING THE HIGH COSTS OF BANK ROBBERY FOR THE ROBBER IS RECOMMENDED. (RCB)