New York prison finances itself through advertising

Mar 28, 2011, 19:18 GMT

New York - A prison in New York state has found a new way to finance itself - through advertising.

Advertisements featuring defence lawyers and bail bondsmen will be seen by inmates from Monday on a giant screen at the Erie County Holding Centre in Buffalo, not far from the Niagara Falls. The ads particularly target those who have been recently arrested.

The Buffalo News cites Anthony N Diina, the head of a company offering digital advertising services to Erie County government, as saying that the key to effective advertising is to reach consumers at the moment they make their purchasing decision.

'What do people want when they are in the Holding Centre?' Diina asked. 'They want to get out. And they don't want to get convicted. So they want bail. And an attorney.'

Adverts like those that are being shown to inmates, at the right time and place, are perfect, he stresses.

'This is the ultimate captive audience,' Diina said.

He said he has already sold half the advertising spots on offer, with a third of the net proceeds from the ads, which according to Diina could amount to a total of 8,000 dollars to 15,000 dollars per year, going to the jail.

Read more about Curiosity

Read more about US Justice