You are placed in a cage for a certain amount of time for a crime, and then let go.
That is really all there is to it.
This is why we have repeat offenders because it isnt a magic machine that irons out what made people do bad things. Some may come out better for their time, but that is no guarantee.
Beware the law of unintended consequences.
How much power should the government have?
If the government can limit rights of felons, and can define who is a felon, then they have the power to deny anyone their rights.
As with 2nd amendment rights, voting is one of our few recourses against an overbearing government.
Yes, we can have laws that limit rights under certain circumstances, but they must be very specific and defined by we the people through the legislature.
The executive branch should never have this type of discretion, and lately the judicial branch seems entirely unfit to judge these things as well.