This makes one wonder why we are against cruel and unusual punishment.
The only reasons to support cruel and unusual punishment would be if it served as a deterent to others or as a deterent to repeat behavior.
I thought when a judge or two offered chemical castration to rapists instead of prison, the option was certainly unusual, but it was an option, and it made some sense. I think it got overturned as cruel and unusual.
Still, it says “cruel and unusual”, not “cruel or unusual”. Seems like we can be cruel as long as we’re not doing it in an unusual way.