Even though prison is neither very good at keeping criminals separated from society, nor very good at deterrence, the main purpose is still keeping criminals separated from society.
Prison also deters different criminals by a similar consistent amount, since it reduces their utility. Corporal punishment does not reduce utility much but inflicts a subjective amount of pain, which some people might consider traumatizing, while other people might consider a cool “rite of passage” which demonstrates their toughness.
Nonetheless I agree with your observation that people place undue weight on the “unusual” part of “cruel and unusual punishment,” and seem to be perfectly okay with prison and all the shenanigans which go on in prison, while completely shocked by any alternative idea.
It reminds me of how people are shocked by people abusing their pets, seeking to punish pet abusers as harshly as child abusers. Yet there they are eating meat out of a factory farm with 10 times worse animal abuse. Their sense of morality is governed by “if everyone does it, it’s okay,” yet at the same time they are shocked by societies in other places and times where what “everyone does” was different.
Even though prison is neither very good at keeping criminals separated from society, nor very good at deterrence, the main purpose is still keeping criminals separated from society.
Prison also deters different criminals by a similar consistent amount, since it reduces their utility. Corporal punishment does not reduce utility much but inflicts a subjective amount of pain, which some people might consider traumatizing, while other people might consider a cool “rite of passage” which demonstrates their toughness.
Nonetheless I agree with your observation that people place undue weight on the “unusual” part of “cruel and unusual punishment,” and seem to be perfectly okay with prison and all the shenanigans which go on in prison, while completely shocked by any alternative idea.
It reminds me of how people are shocked by people abusing their pets, seeking to punish pet abusers as harshly as child abusers. Yet there they are eating meat out of a factory farm with 10 times worse animal abuse. Their sense of morality is governed by “if everyone does it, it’s okay,” yet at the same time they are shocked by societies in other places and times where what “everyone does” was different.