SOCIAL AND LEGAL POLICIES REGARDING PROSTITUTION ARE OFTEN DESCRIBED AS INEFFECTIVE, BUT THE LACK OF BASIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE PRACTICE OF PROSTITUTION HAS PROVEN TO BE A HINDRANCE TO REFORM. JUVENILE PROSTITUTION AS A SEPARATE ISSUE IS ADDRESSED BRIEFLY. PROSTITUTION EXISTS IN A VARIETY OF FORMS, ON A NUMBER OF ECONOMIC LEVELS, AND IN SEVERAL GEOGRAPHIC AREAS. HARD DATA IS INADEQUATE SINCE WOMEN WORKING IN BROTHELS OR MASSAGE PARLORS ARE RARELY ARRESTED. RESEARCH INDICATES THAT MEN WHO PATRONIZE PROSTITUTES ARE GENERALLY WHITE, MIDDLE-AGED, MIDDLE-CLASS, AND MARRIED; THE MAJORITY WORK IN WHITE COLLAR JOBS. CONVICTIONS OF PIMPS ARE HARD TO OBTAIN BECAUSE THE TESTIMONY OF A SINGLE PERSON IS INSUFFICIENT TO CONVICT AND BECAUSE PROSTITUTES RELY ON PIMPS FOR PSYCHOLOGICAL SUSTENANCE AS WELL AS FOR ECONOMIC NEEDS. IT IS DIFFICULT TO GAUGE THE AMOUNT OF VICTIMIZATION ASSOCIATED WITH PROSTITUTION BECAUSE SUCH CRIME IS LIKELY TO GO UNREPORTED. IN NEW YORK STATE, OVER 50 PERCENT OF THE POPULATION IN WOMEN'S JAILS HAS BEEN CONVICTED FOR PROSTITUTION. THE GENERAL CONSENSUS FOR NEW YORK CITY IS THAT MOST PROSTITUTES ARE NOT HEROIN ADDICTS. MANY PROSTITUTES DO USE DRUGS OF SOME KIND, BUT THE DIRECTION OF THE ASSOCIATION BETWEEN DRUG USE AND PROSTITUTION IS NOT CLEAR. CONTRARY TO POPULAR BELIEFS, PROSTITUTES ACCOUNT FOR A MINOR PART OF THE VENEREAL DISEASE PROBLEM. MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE OBSERVERS DO NOT FEEL THAT PROSTITUTES ARE LINKED TO ORGANIZED CRIME. IN THE MANHATTAN AREA OF NEW YORK CITY DURING THE FIRST 11 MONTHS OF 1976, 9 GIRLS UNDER 16 YEARS OF AGE AND 1,165 GIRLS BETWEEN 16 AND 20 YEARS OF AGE WERE ARRESTED FOR PROSTITUTION. ANOTHER 9,035 GIRLS UNDER 21 YEARS OF AGE WERE ARRESTED FOR DISORDERLY CONDUCT. NEW YORK STATE LAW PROHIBITS PROSTITUTION, PATRONIZING A PROSTITUTE, PERMITTING AND PROMOTING PROSTITUTION, AND LOITERING FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROSTITUTION. THE NEW YORK STATE STATUTE CONCERNING LOITERING FOR PURPOSES OF PROSTITUTION IS DISCUSSED IN REGARD TO CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES. PENALTIES FOR PROSTITUTION ARE LISTED IN TABULAR FORM, WITH DEFINITIONS OF OFFENSES GIVEN. THE IMPACT OF OTHER LAWS ON PROSTITUTION AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES INVOLVED ARE ASSESSED. THE DECRIMINALIZATION AND LEGALIZATION OF PROSTITUTION ARE CONSIDERED IN REFERENCE TO THE EXPERIENCE OF OTHER COUNTRIES. (DEP)