I guess you could divide prisoners into various groups.
Those who have committed horrendous crimes who are deemed incurable and unmanageable for which the death penalty might be considered as a humane solution.
Humane to who?
Get rid of them and make an example out of them.
Those which impose a severe danger to themselves and others in prison and impose high internal costs. These should be given the option of euthanasia, perhaps irrespective of the crime as the quality of life for everyone is low.
"Excuse me, could you please consider taking your own life? You're far too much trouble for the rest of us." Yeah, right.
Extremely dangerous criminals who are potentially curable. These should be restricted to work inside the prisons
No. Why don't I write a list of people I really really hate, go on a killing spree, prove that I'm "curable" and relax the rest of my life away in a facility doing menial work and chilling out at the library?
Criminals who are generally non-violent but may have committed a serious crime in a rage and are facing a long sentence. Perhaps these could be given the chance to redeem themselves through engaging in a high risk venture, perhaps in the military, or rescue service, undercover police work.
You obviously have no idea about criminals, the military, the police or the rescue service.
Now I understand guys with the odd misdeminor (like the guy was totally drunk and was urinating on someone's car... woops) being given waivers but anything seriously violent that is out of order, no. Considering the sort of rules of engagement that troops operate under, they have no place.
Moderately dangerous criminals who could be safety supervised in groups outside the prison, but kept away from major population centres eg. offsetting the work given to illegal immigrants digging up crops in the country,
No. These folks who have to settle for being illegal immigrants should be given a real and proper way to obtain work permits that would allow them to work legally. Most of these folks want to return to their native country after they've earned their money anyway. Their lives are worth a LOT more than any of these criminals. I would rather see them be allowed to work legally, earn money, send their kids to school and then have a comfortable retirement in their home country than have these criminals be given "a second chance."
Non violent offenders who could be supervised in populated districts, once against offsetting illegal immigrant work by cleaning outdoors and more controversially engaging in a regulated sex industry