Greg:
Ah... missed reading the news articles in your post - but have now
This stuff is exactly what I've been hearing recently. Seems every leaf that is turned over is riddled with corruption from the highest level downwards.
That said.. little doubts there are well-managed facilities and OK management/officers within them.
The flip side is the prison dept can attrack an unwelcome type of personality as a potential employee, and seems some pass thru the vetting process unchecked. This "appears" to be the source of most problems - ranging from rape of female inmates (tho that can also happen in the local Sheriff's dept), management fraud to problems relating to medical conditions and the staffing within these sections.
Hell.. some folks who have a "need" to be incarcerated as part of their job, consider their time in jail is more dangerous than fighting frontline crime outside - the threat is not from other inmates, but from jail staff.