Final answer:
The Pennsylvania System is the early prison system noted for its more humane approach and focus on inmate rehabilitation, representing a move towards reform rather than punishment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The early prison system heralded as one that was humane and provided inmates with the opportunity for rehabilitation was The Pennsylvania System. It represented a significant shift in the purpose of imprisonment, moving away from simply housing or punishing criminals, to aiming for their moral reform and rehabilitation.
Under this system, inmates were subjected to solitary confinement, which was believed to encourage reflection and change. This contrasted sharply with previous methods of dealing with social deviants, which were often cruel and aimed more at punishment than rehabilitation. The Pennsylvania System was a precursor to today's evolving attitudes towards incarceration, reflecting the ongoing debate between punitive and rehabilitative justice.