Prison System Replacement

So, the notion that our prison system is broken beyond repair, is a belief I tend to agree with.

Right now, the US has more than 2 million citizens in prison.  We have successfully beaten Stalin in this area. In fact, we beat every nation on the planet in this regard.  Oft times, people are put into prison, for life sentences, for merely dealing marijuana 3 times (3 strike law).

Non-violent offenders, being put into prison for a life sentence, appears on it's face to be a senseless move.  What sense does it make to have non-violent offenders in for life sentences?

Violent offenders, sit in prison for life terms (Sometimes), but is it humane to do so?  We don't put violent dogs in kennels for life terms.  We understand they are not able to cope with society, so we remove them from society.  However, due to the fact that we have an imperfect justice system, the death penalty seems inhumane, in and of itself, due to the large chance for error.

Conditions in our prisons inhumane at worst, and not conducive to rehabilitation at best.  We breed the "best in class" when it comes to criminals in prison.  They learn how to break the law under to most stringent of regulation environment, making them super-criminals on the outside.

I asked in the last post, what are your suggestions.  I believe we need a complete revamp of the prison system.  Not "improvements", but a complete replacement.

The best I can come up with, is a system akin to "Escape from NY", a 1981 film, where Manhattan was converted to a maximum security prison.  I, however, differ in how the setup should be.

We would take a land mass that is capable of sustaining people.  Criminals will be sent there, for a predetermined time (Life if that is what the crime calls for).  No guards.  No LEO's.  Nothing.  They are sent to survive on their own there.  When their times comes, they are to go to the checkout point, and leave.  There is no criminal record kept.  When a person does the time, that's it.  We need to stop punishing people after they've done their sentence.

Would the Penal Colony be more or less humane than what we have now?  I don't know.  I figure it gives the residents the ability to create a society that meets their desired needs.  I could be way off here, but give your thoughts here.