More civilized countries (e.g. nordic ones) do something similar to that.

They don't send "criminals to Harvard", but they have prisons close (if not more) habitable as a Harvard dorm, very humane treatment of prisoners, extensive educational programs, and so on.

And they have less costs, less crime, and a healthier society doing so.

So snark from a country with the largest prison population (by percentage) in the world, huge associated costs, rampant crime rates, and is so backwards as to still have the death penalty (in the 21st century!), is unwarranted.