The U.S. Constitution in Five Minutes - Joseph L. Smith
54. Cruel and Unusual Punishments
The U.S. Constitution in Five Minutes - Joseph L. Smith
Taneisha N. Means [+]
Vassar College
Taneisha N. Means is an Assistant Professor of Political Science on the Class of 1951 Chair at Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York. Her primary research interests are at the intersection of racial and ethnic politics and judicial politics, and she is primarily concerned with the level, nature, and significance of racial and gender diversity in state courts.
Description
The 8th Amendment’s Cruel and Unusual Punishment Clause helps protect and guarantee due process for individuals charged and convicted of criminal offenses. Despite its importance, the amendment is vague, and people, including judges, disagree about the standard the courts should use when determining what cruel and unusual is.