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City Studies

Is Justice For All?

The Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution states that “cruel and unusual punishments [should not be] inflicted.” But what is cruel and unusual punishment? How does an amendment written in 1791 relate to issues today?

In the winter of 2017, CUP collaborated with Teaching Artist Meredith Degyansky and the International Community High School’s 11th grade to peel back the pages of the U.S. Constitution. Under the Eighth Amendment, should minors be charged as adults? Should inmates be held in solitary confinement? Who decides?

To investigate, students got out of the classroom and into the politics of the Eighth Amendment to speak with people invested in NYC’s justice system, from a New York Police Department Detective to a New York State Senator. Students surveyed community members for their opinions, created Public Service Announcements (PSAs) to breakdown different points of view, and created the Is Justice For All? postcard set to teach others what they learned and how you can get involved.