Here's a hot little magazine....

The right to stupid 'speech' is protected by the first ammendment...

An American magazine about gangster life that was originally aimed at prisoners is selling so well that it is to go on sale in major stores.

To the alarm of those working in crime prevention, Don Diva, which calls itself "the original street bible", has become required reading in many inner cities.

It features interviews with convicts, and includes tips on where to hide drugs and buy the best diamond-studded gold teeth and money-counting machines.

Critics say the glossy quarterly - which carries the warning, "Parental Advisory: Gangsta Content" - glamorises and promotes violent gangland lifestyles. Its supporters say the coverage reflects the reality, and consequences, of crime: perpetrators end up in prison or dead.

"I do get a lot of complaints from people, but nearly always they have never read the publication," said Tiffany Childs, 34, founder and editor. "When they write, I bombard them with issues and, nine times out of 10, they will see the value in the genre.

"There are people out there for whom this really does have a positive impact."

Launched six years ago, Don Diva now sells 165,000 copies, and Mrs Childs said each issue reached an estimated one million readers.

Initially, nearly all its subscribers were in prison. Today only 10 per cent of its readers are inmates, and the magazine will soon be on sale at large retail outlets such as Tower Records and Borders.