Brad Plumer offers up the
comprehensive, thoughtful prostitution policy rundown you've been craving. In essence, none of the different policy options seem to work very well. Given that legalize-and-regulate, even with a clear-eyed look at the problems involved, seems no worse in its overall impact than criminalization, I think it makes sense to err on the side of liberty.
This article available online at:
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2008/03/prostitution-policy-brief/45600/