Spector in 'sensitive needs' cell

There are 6,919 other inmates housed at the prison near Fresno

US music producer Phil Spector has been assigned to a "sensitive needs" area of a California prison to serve his sentence for murder.

The 69-year-old was taken to the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison at Corcoran on Monday, a spokeswoman said.

The unit is designed for those who may need extra protection - including high-profile inmates.

Spector is serving 19 years to life for killing actress Lana Clarkson in 2003.

He does not have a cellmate and, as a medium security inmate, can make some requests for items he wants in his cell.

His wife, Rachelle, said a list was already being compiled.

"He wants a TV and an iPod or something like that for listening to music - and he would like to be able to receive e-mail," she said.

Prison spokesman Stephen Smith said Spector may even be able to lead jam sessions with his fellow inmates.

"The facility he is on now, there are a bunch of inmates that have instruments and they all play together on the exercise yard," Smith told the Los Angeles Times.

The prison has housed other entertainment figures in the past.

Iron Man actor Robert Downey Jr served time there in 1999 for violating his probation in a drug conviction and ended up counselling other inmates before he was released.

Spector was convicted of second-degree murder in April, two years after the jury in his initial trial failed to reach a unanimous verdict.