Cell Phones in Prisons

I found it incredibly interesting that, with all of the problems our prison systems have, that cell phones is one of the big ones. Dave Alsop from CNN, in an article on Yahoo.com, writes about how smuggling cell phones into prisons is a growing problem and that corrupt officers help the inmates attain this contraband. It has gotten to the point where they are trying to pass laws to stop them from coming in and some states are even going as far as training dogs to sniff out these cell phones. Here is the link to the story so that you may read for yourself:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/05/30/texas.prison.cell.phones/index.html

I think that this problem shouldnt even be in existance. If inmates can smuggle in cell phones to their cells for the right price, what makes me think that they are not smuggling in more dangerous contraband then just a cell phone. Not only is this not safe for the officers that work in the prisons, it is also not safe for visitors or other inmates. Why is there not a better screening system of what goes in and out of the prison. Why are inmates not checked and rechecked every time they come in. Why arent packages checked. We already took these mens freedom for a reason, so why not check their mail too. Maybe not open it but at least put in through a medal detector. In the article there is no explanation for how these things are getting into our prisons and there is no punishment for the people that they are confiscating from. I would also like to know how they will train dogs to sniff out cell phones, and exactly how much money is going into this because, since I am paying taxes to put these men in prison, I would like to know which would be more cost effective... hiring better officers or training dogs to do the job for them. The officers may only be getting paid a little but they are still getting paid.. by me... This is important because it shows just how bad our prison system is getting, when the government cant even keep cell phones out. How am i supposed think that they can keep men in..