The internal history of the prison system We are all accustomed to believing that prisons are places of justice, hardship and prosecution of those who have broken the law. Many people believe that prisoners are completely cut off from connections with the outside world. Most people believe that criminals receive the punishment they deserve, depriving them of the rights and privileges enjoyed by the rest of society. There are many questions that will remain unanswered, but an important question would be: Is the prison system effective or are staff making it too easy for inmates to handle contraband? There are many problems involving prison systems, such as overcrowding, but the one I find most interesting is drug abuse and how inmates obtain these drugs. How do these inmates receive drugs from the outside? Do people ever think that inmates might be using guards and other staff to smuggle drugs? Although prisons are perceived as the highest place of justice, corruption due to drug abuse and transportation exists among inmates and prison staff. While this is a problem, solutions are provided to help reduce drug trafficking from outside into the prison system. I have heard stories from friends in prison who explain that it is not that difficult to receive items from the outside. Various items, from drugs to money or even cell phones, can be sent to inmates. For example, my friend who has been in prison for a couple of years has a phone and is not allowed to have it. A connection from the outside allowed him to receive his phone. People receive items through visitors, mail, packages, dirty lawyers, and even through prison facility staff. I've always believed that I... middle of paper... see, if the guards are caught they have to face trial like a normal person. They would face the same consequences as a prisoner. In my opinion, being involved in drug trafficking for a prison guard or any type of staff is a worse crime than the prisoner. I'm not sure that's what I expect from an inmate, but not from a correctional officer because they are sworn to protect themselves from those very actions. They should establish guidelines and rules to help build a better society for all, not encouraging bad behavior and drug use. Drug trafficking is now a constant problem throughout the United States. Drug trafficking occurs through prison systems in ways we may never fully understand. It's a serious problem, but if we established stricter rules in all prisons the benefit could be to reduce drug abuse among prisoners.