It is a bit of a confusing quote. I think the implication is that the pads are worn for so long that the adhesive stops working. Pads are not designed to be worn for very long. It's also possible that the supplies are substandard to begin with, which would make it even more likely that the adhesive would fail.

As for the general state of prisons, I'm sure it varies greatly, but I don't think the situation in the article is all that unlikely.