Which amendment protects inmates from cruel or unusual punishment?

• A. 1st
• B. 8th
• C. 6th
• D. 14th

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that the Eighth Amendment bans cruel and unusual punishment. This constitutional safeguard protects inmates from treatment that is barbaric, excessively harsh, or not proportionate to the offense. Courts also apply it to state prisons through the Fourteenth Amendment, so it covers both federal and state facilities. In practice, it ensures humane treatment, access to needed medical care, and disciplinary measures that aren’t torture or extreme, evolving with society’s standards of decency. The other amendments address different rights—speech and religion (First), trial-related rights ( Sixth), or due process and equal protection more generally (Fourteenth)—but the explicit prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment is the province of the Eighth.