Open, Eco-Prision: The wave of the future?

In Bastoy Prison in Norway, the prison is situated on an island where the prisioners are responsible for the farming, fishing and have a large array of duties.  This is an open prison system where they are given keys to their rooms not locked into a cell.  There are a list of rules they must obey to stay at this prison.  If they do not adhere to the rules there is a 3 stikes they are out and back into a traditional closed jail system.  These prisoners vary in crimes from murder, drug smuggling to rapists.  With only 115 prisoners and Somehow they manage to keep things peaceful and work in an orderly way.  Is this a way to humanize criminals before they are released back into the regular population?