News By Ryan Whitwam Jan. 20, 2014 1:10 pm
Sony used to be the big name in consumer electronics. While the company is hardly out of business, it has lost its position as the one to beat, but it still absolutely dominates one segment of the market–prison inmates.
Sony makes a wonderful little device called the SRF-39FP. It’s a pocket AM/FM analog radio that has been designed specifically to be ideal for use in prisons. It is so popular it’s unofficial name is “the iPod of prison.”
This isn’t just a case of a product that happened to work for prisoners — Sony knows exactly what it is doing. That “FP” at the end of the model number is a dead giveaway. It stands for Federal Prison. This is a device designed with amazing attention to the needs of the customer, in this case prison authorities and inmates.
The SRF-39FP is in a clear plastic case, which is important to guards because it prevents inmates from smuggling contraband around in the radio. The casing is also incredibly strong so as to prevent any accidental breakage. Inside is a super-powerful receiver able to pick up signals inside the thick walls of modern prisons. Perhaps most importantly, inmates value the Sony SRF-39FP because it can run for 40 hours on a single AA battery.
These radios can still be found in commissaries all over the US 15 years after they were released. Many inmates pass the radios to fellow prisoners when they are released, whether out of a sense of comradery or superstition about bad luck. If you want one of your own, they can usually be procured for about $50.
More...
Sony makes a wonderful little device called the SRF-39FP. It’s a pocket AM/FM analog radio that has been designed specifically to be ideal for use in prisons. It is so popular it’s unofficial name is “the iPod of prison.”
This isn’t just a case of a product that happened to work for prisoners — Sony knows exactly what it is doing. That “FP” at the end of the model number is a dead giveaway. It stands for Federal Prison. This is a device designed with amazing attention to the needs of the customer, in this case prison authorities and inmates.
The SRF-39FP is in a clear plastic case, which is important to guards because it prevents inmates from smuggling contraband around in the radio. The casing is also incredibly strong so as to prevent any accidental breakage. Inside is a super-powerful receiver able to pick up signals inside the thick walls of modern prisons. Perhaps most importantly, inmates value the Sony SRF-39FP because it can run for 40 hours on a single AA battery.
These radios can still be found in commissaries all over the US 15 years after they were released. Many inmates pass the radios to fellow prisoners when they are released, whether out of a sense of comradery or superstition about bad luck. If you want one of your own, they can usually be procured for about $50.
More...
