What does the Eighth Amendment primarily address?

The Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution primarily addresses the prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. This means that the amendment aims to protect individuals from extreme, disproportionate, or torturous treatment by the government, especially in the context of criminal justice.

The historical context surrounding the Eighth Amendment emphasizes the framers' intent to ensure that punishments are fair and not excessively severe, which reflects a commitment to humane treatment within the legal system. The principle that punishments must correspond to the severity of the crime is a key tenet of the justice system, and the Eighth Amendment serves as a safeguard against punitive measures that could be deemed barbaric or excessive.

In contrast, the other options cover different constitutional rights that are addressed in other amendments, such as the right to petition and free speech, which are protected under the First Amendment, and the right to privacy, which has been interpreted from various amendments, but is not explicitly stated in the Constitution.