Staffing‑collapse prison safety spiral

Austerity‑driven reductions in frontline corrections staff and loss of experienced supervisory rotations remove tacit policing knowledge and the informal 'immune system' that detects grooming. The result is a predictable spiral: fewer staff → weaker supervision → more smuggled phones and illicit relationships → higher detection‑and‑dismissal rates and cascading security risks. — If true, this reframes prison safety as a staffing and institutional‑design problem requiring minimum‑staffing rules, enforced rotation protocols, independent oversight, and controls on contraband tech rather than only punishment after scandals.