People - both men and women - finish up in prison for a reason. I have an adopted relative who is in prison - she was the child of drug addicts and born addicted, is on the autistic spectrum and is not very bright at all. No proper help was offered during childhood, in spite of fighting hard for it, and now in prison. The other prisoners there are in the main mentally ill.
It is hard for governments to think long term; but keeping people put of prison is a long term project and an expensive one: proper ante-natal care, parenting classes, housing input, support for young families, an education system that encourages chances in life for the disadvantaged pupils, education that is relevant, well-funded mental health services...........and so on and on. All the things that have been starved of funds under austerity.
Clawing our way back from this mess to something resembling a caring civilized society will not happen overnight. But it will not happen at all - ever - if the proper investment is not made.
Investing in prison building is repairing the stable door whilst leaving it wide open.
So....they build more prison spaces.....and cannot get staff for them. Attracting staff into the service is a losing battle - they know that they are going into a system that is broken - that is full of people who need proper mental health care, proper rehabilitation, proper educational opportunities, proper work experience...........and so on.
Staff morale in prisons is at rock bottom - no wonder they are tempted to turn a blind eye to drugs getting into prisons, and indeed, as we know, profiting themselves from the drug trade in prison.
It is a mess; just a mess. And can only be improved by getting at the roots rather than trying to stick on a plaster.