(Bedau) "[T]he eighth amendment's guarantee against cruel and unusual punishment mandates that the state, even when it undertakes to punish an individual who has transgressed laws, recognize the intrinsic worth of the individual as a human being this is why the sentence of death is in all circumstances cruel and unusual punishment, forbidden by the Constitution." ... Of the 19 people currently sentenced to death under federal law, 15 are people of color. ... Thirteen exonerations of people sentenced to death in Illinois - including three provoked by a journalism class at Northwestern U...

• Word Count: 3235
• Approx Pages: 13
• Grade Level: High School