The 8th Amendment of the United States Constitution guarantees two rights to people who have been found guilty of a crime. These rights are:
1. Protection against cruel and unusual punishment: This means that individuals who have been convicted of a crime have the right to be free from punishments that are considered excessively harsh or inhumane. The amendment prohibits punishments that involve torture, degrading treatment, or punishments that are clearly disproportionate to the severity of the crime committed.
2. Protection against excessive bail or fines: This right ensures that the bail amount set for a defendant should not be unreasonably high and should not result in an unfair financial burden. Additionally, the fines imposed as a punishment should be proportionate to the offense committed, preventing excessive financial penalties that could be deemed unjust.
By guaranteeing these two rights, the 8th Amendment aims to uphold principles of fairness, justice, and human dignity within the criminal justice system.
