Are U.S. prisons too comfortable for the prisoners?

I have no idea whether or not prisons are comfortable for inmates, and while obviously I prefer that they not be (they're supposed to be being reformed/punished), I consider it a bigger issue that significantly more money is used per inmate than per student. When prisoners get free healthy meals and students bring their own lunch because their parents won't or can't pay for the school lunches, that's a problem. When someone voluntarily gets themselves arrested so they can afford healthcare, that's a problem. And when anyone, ANYONE makes money from people being in prison that is a huge problem. Before we even consider changing the conditions in the prisons (I think free healthy food is reasonable to give to everyone) we need to reform the system that maintains them and the system that puts people there.