<P> Cruel and unusual punishment is a phrase describing punishment that is considered unacceptable due to the suffering, pain, or humiliation it inflicts on the person subjected to it . </P> <P> There are generally tests that can serve as a guide to what cruel and unusual punishment is according to various legal textbooks in accordance with the law . These are: </P> <Ol> <Li> overall acceptance in society, </Li> <Li> severity (the punishment fits the crime), and </Li> <Li> if the punishment is arbitrary . </Li> </Ol> <Li> overall acceptance in society, </Li>

Definition of cruel and unusual punishment in the united states