cruel and unusual

Slacktivist wrote a post about a letter in the (Delaware-based) NewsJournal, in which a reader wrote to complain about a series of articles about poor healthcare in Delaware prisons, entitled, "Delaware's Deadly Prisons". Here's the letter:

I see a lot of talk about how Delaware is a horrid state for what it did, or didn't do, to its prisoners. I cannot believe you are in such an uproar over the death of a felon.
I am not a big fan of Ruth Ann Minner, but if this is how she runs things, good on her.
The guy was in prison, and not just for a first offense, but for violating parole. That means he got arrested, charged, convicted, and then basically didn't care enough to follow rules. Maybe prison needs to be this way.
Honestly, I could care less about you if you're in prison. It isn't supposed to be fun, easy or enjoyable. It's supposed to make you not want to come back. So if things like this happen, hey, don't break the law, and you won't have to worry about it.
Innocent people die every day, and yet you are worried about a felon like he is some kind of saint? I don't care what excuse you have for burglary, at 21, you don't need to do it. You can always find a job. McDonald's is always hiring, the military is always hiring, so they aren't excuses. Any one who pities this man, or anyone else in prison is sick.
J.G., Newark

Many people commented on his post, arguing against this person's stance, though most focused on the unfairness of the system, in regards to who actually ends up in jail. I agree, though I felt the need to add this:

Going back to the original post for a moment - There are many people in prisons for the wrong reasons. However, even if EVERYONE in jail was certifiably guilty in every way, brutal treatment would still be a mistake.
Cruel punishment, as a deterrant, does work for many people. However, there are many others - the mentally ill, those raised by gangs and/or extremely young parents, those who are so impoverished that they believe they have nothing to lose - who do not really appreciate the threat of punishment, or even really understand cause and effect - their worlds are that warped.
That's one argument against it - the other is that prison violence and mistreatment does not prevent the recurrance of crime. You do not make a person more gentle and respectful by exposing them to rape, violence, and cruelty. Have you ever seen an animal that's been beaten and abused? It becomes a dangerous beast.