Strahl is betting that he can capture not only readers but advertisers. In fact, Prison Life demographics would be the envy of many marketers. Prison population is big (almost 1 million folks call federal and state prisons home; more than 3 million are on probation or parole) and rapidly expanding (at least 7 percent a year). Convicts even have money to burn-an average of $1,100 to $1,500 a year, earned inside or sent by families. And they have one resource, precious to publishers, that’s often in short supply elsewhere: plenty of time to read.
Strahl’s inspiration for Prison Life came from his five years running the commissary at Danville State Penitentiary in Illinois, where his inventory included canned asparagus, GE stereo headsets and satin underwear. After discovering that the contemporary inmate has access to a microwave oven (but not to a refrigerator), Strahl sought out prison-friendly products, such as Kraft shells with cheese that require no milk. After commissary sales hit $1.3 million a year, Strahl was convinced he had found the last forgotten consumer. Last year he approached Hank McQueeney, who publishes Creem, a rock magazine; Oui, and Hockey Today. At first, says McQueeney, “I just laughed,” but the numbers impressed him. Now he 200,000 issues of the bimonthly glossy by subscription to prisoners and at newsstands near prison centers like Attica, N.Y.
Still, media success stories depend on the kindness of advertisers, and that’s where Prison Life may falter. “Just the name gets people nervous,” admits McQueeney. Makers of well-known products may hesitate to appear in a magazine whose cover boy, in the first issue, is Charles Manson. (Headline: MANSON: GET OFF HIS BACK!) Most ads, so far, are from companies like Cybergenics, which makes body-building supplements. But Island Records bought an ad for a Tom Waits album, and Arm & Hammer has made inquiries. “If they keep the sleaze factor down,” the big guys may come around, says Mary Huhn of MediaWeek magazine.
Meanwhile, Strahl is getting the word out by mailing thousands of brochures to wardens, chaplains and librarians. “We will listen,” promises the brochure. “Prison Life will help you get what you need to lighten the load of incarceration.” Regular columns, he says, will include “The Chaplain Speaks,” “Ask the Law Professor” and " In-Cell Cooking." And Strahl has already had feedback from some minority voices in prison society. After he offered new subscribers a “free cellmate calendar pinup,” female inmates demanded equal time. Now available: the girl in the bikini and the guy in a bathing suit.
