How Long to Read The Story of Cruel and Unusual

How Long Does it Take to Read The Story of Cruel and Unusual?

It takes the average reader 2 hours and 2 minutes to read The Story of Cruel and Unusual by Colin Dayan

Assuming a reading speed of 250 words per minute. Learn more

Description

A searing indictment of the American penal system that finds the roots of the recent prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo in the steady dismantling of the Eighth Amendment's prohibition of "cruel and unusual" punishment. The revelations of prisoner abuse and torture at Abu Ghraib and more recently at Guantánamo were shocking to most Americans. And those who condemned the treatment of prisoners abroad have focused on U.S. military procedures and abuses of executive powers in the war on terror, or, more specifically, on the now-famous White House legal counsel memos on the acceptable limits of torture. But in The Story of Cruel and Unusual, Colin Dayan argues that anyone who has followed U.S. Supreme Court decisions regarding the Eighth Amendment prohibition of "cruel and unusual" punishment would recognize the prisoners' treatment at Abu Ghraib and Guantánamo as a natural extension of the language of our courts and practices in U.S. prisons. In fact, it was no coincidence that White House legal counsel referred to a series of Supreme Court decisions in the 1980s and 1990s in making its case for torture.Dayan traces the roots of "acceptable" torture to slave codes of the nineteenth century that deeply embedded the dehumanization of the incarcerated in our legal system. Although the Eighth Amendment was interpreted generously during the prisoners' rights movement of the late 1960s and 1970s, this period of judicial concern was an anomaly. Over the last thirty years, Supreme Court decisions have once again dismantled Eighth Amendment protections and rendered such words as "cruel" and "inhuman" meaningless when applied to conditions of confinement and treatment during detention. Prisoners' actual pain and suffering have been explained away in a rhetorical haze—with rationalizations, for example, that measure cruelty not by the pain or suffering inflicted, but by the intent of the person who inflicted it. The Story of Cruel and Unusual is a stunningly original work of legal scholarship, and a searing indictment of the U.S. penal system.

How long is The Story of Cruel and Unusual?

The Story of Cruel and Unusual by Colin Dayan is 122 pages long, and a total of 30,744 words.

This makes it 41% the length of the average book. It also has 38% more words than the average book.

How Long Does it Take to Read The Story of Cruel and Unusual Aloud?

The average oral reading speed is 183 words per minute. This means it takes 2 hours and 48 minutes to read The Story of Cruel and Unusual aloud.

What Reading Level is The Story of Cruel and Unusual?

The Story of Cruel and Unusual is suitable for students ages 10 and up.

Note that there may be other factors that effect this rating besides length that are not factored in on this page. This may include things like complex language or sensitive topics not suitable for students of certain ages.

When deciding what to show young students always use your best judgement and consult a professional.

Where Can I Buy The Story of Cruel and Unusual?

The Story of Cruel and Unusual by Colin Dayan is sold by several retailers and bookshops. However, Read Time works with Amazon to provide an easier way to purchase books.

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