My position is that if we'd like to lower recidivism then treating prisoners poorly is a very bad idea.

Society is bearing the cost (in repeat offending) of treating everyone who goes to prison as a person incapable of acting pro-socially.

It's not just that the death penalty is cruel (though I believe that it is), its that much of the carcerial state is there to do everything possible to make it hard to do anything other than remain a criminal once a person has been to prison.

From my position, much of the cruelty and retribution against criminals (ranging from poor conditions to bad healthcare to lack of post-incarceration support) just increases recidivism and that a real problem for all of us:

cruelty in the name of retribution is the real sacrifice of the good of the whole.