New York's Erie County Holding Center will be playing advertisements on a television screen in its holding cells, apparently in an effort to plug the hole created by upcoming budget cuts. Obviously, the HDTV won't be for ads only—it will also "publicize general information about parking, the jail's policies and more," according to Anthony Diina, the advertising whiz who came up with the idea. ("What do people want they are in the Holding Center?" Diina asks, intriguingly, before settling on the rather obvious answer, "They want to get out.") "It strikes me as inserting a commercial aspect into something when I don't feel there is any place for it," says former prosecutor James Auricchio, which is a sweet thing to say, but get real, James, do you even know what "monetizing" is? Talk about "captive eyeballs," I am right? And listen to this:

Proponents of the project argue that the county government will get 1/3 of the net revenue from the ads, which could be up to $15,000 a year.

A whole one-third of $15,000, maybe? 'Nuff said! (Those who wish to advertise to prison populations but can't afford the TV are advised to check with Prisonworld Magazine.)

[NYDN; image via Shutterstock]