FOLIO Ontology

A cruel and unusual punishment claim is a legal action initiated by an individual alleging that their Eighth Amendment right to be free from cruel and unusual punishment has been violated by the government or a government actor. The Eighth Amendment prohibits the government from imposing punishments that are excessive, torturous, or barbaric. A cruel and unusual punishment claim may arise in various contexts, such as when a person is subjected to excessive physical or mental pain, suffering, or humiliation during the course of their punishment, when a person is punished for a non-violent offense in a way that is disproportionate to the crime, or when a person is denied necessary medical treatment while in custody.