What is the point of prison if we can't keep guards from smuggling (drugs|cell phones|weapons|information), or prisoners from beating and raping each other, etc

What is the point of prison if we can't keep guards from smuggling (drugs|cell phones|weapons|information), or prisoners from beating and raping each other, etc? Prisons are some of the least secure environments in the world. They do not rehabilitate, nor do they effectively punish - violent criminals thrive so long as they are more violent than the next guy and able to buy the guards. People are talking about radio jammers and Faraday cages. As part of a defense-in-depth strategy, maybe. But if we can't stop corruption among prison guards, if we can't expect even basic professionalism, what is the point? I don't want to be subsidizing the creation of a paradise for the most powerful violent criminals to rule over people who lost their way while poor. I don't want to be subsidizing something that fails spectacularly at everything it might be construed as trying to do, except make money for contractors. We are doing something horribly wrong. Maybe we need to replace guards with a small handful of well-paid professionals in a heavily monitored, regularly audited control room. At least electronic locks and cameras can't be corrupted as easily. Maybe we need shorter sentences served entirely in isolation - there seems to be nothing good about the social life of prison. Maybe we should give up on the communications ban and let them Skype their families and browse Reddit all day - who can they really hurt that way? Maybe we should make prison more or less like day-to-day life, except that you can't leave. I don't know, but it seems like anything other than the status quo is worth trying. We definitely need to incarcerate fewer people, though.