You have to accept that in many respects America is simply not a first world country. As a whole the US is held back by a large component of the population who are extremely right-wing with their own brand of fundamentalist religion.

These people are not unlike the Taliban - one could in fat argue that they are the American equivalent of the Taliban.

It's from these sources that barbarous laws and systems like this originate. Torture of "terrorists" is a similar example - the only people you would find who support this is once again the American Right.