The problem is America in particular views prison as punishment, because of its puritan roots and culture a large part of the country sees punishment as both an effective correctional technique and a deterrent when the evidence for decades has consistently shown neither hold.

Which is part of the problem with the "abolish the death penalty" movement. The opposition was raised and impressed upon how prison is not for the security of society as a whole but for the punishment of the criminal. Except the later never works, and if you frame your law enforcement around that you end up violating a gross amount of human rights just like parents who think punishments are the optimal way to raise children most of the time end up abusing their kids.