I think he is trying to say is that this is not a cruel and unusual punishment. Its not unusual because putting people in jail is a usual affair in US. Now in t

I think he is trying to say is that this is not a cruel and unusual punishment. Its not unusual because putting people in jail is a usual affair in US. Now in terms of cruelty, the only cruel thing according to him about landing up in jail is your right to freedom is taken from you. Even though I agree this is a big punishment but taking your freedom was never considered a cruel punishment even if the crime committed was small. Aside from freedom, he believes homeless are well off in prison in certain states rather than being on the streets. Personally, my only perception of US prison system if through movies, so I cannot comment on it. But I have personally seen homeless people committing small crimes in developing countries to land in prison for a month or 2 in case the weather becomes extreme outside ( Rains , snowfall etc).