The evolving standards of decency.

摘要

The purpose of this project was to examine how the "evolving standards of decency" that mark the progress of a maturing society were used to interpret the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. A detailed examination of the standards was done to better understand their roots, their criteria, and their intentions. A historical review of the U.S. Supreme Court's decisions involving the standards of decency and how they are defined was conducted. The evolution of the standards was explored to observe whether they are evolving in a consistent manner.; Project findings indicated that evolving standards of decency were constructed to address and protect individuals from cruel and unusual punishment. Subsequently, these standards emerged as a yardstick for interpreting the Constitution in light of prevailing American values over time. Review notes that little deviation from the original interpretation of standards of decency has occurred in spite of constant legal challenges.