Prisons - Ours v. Theirs

Here is an analysis of a prison in Norway:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/29/magazine/the-radical-humaneness-of-norways-halden-prison.html

And here is a description of a prison in the US:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/29/magazine/inside-americas-toughest-federal-prison.html

Which is the more advanced society? Which is the more brutal?

Are our prisons like this because we enjoy "punishing" people, or because the prison owners enjoy making so much money?