What is prohibited under the Eighth Amendment?

The Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution primarily addresses the issues of excessive bail, excessive fines, and cruel and unusual punishments. Specifically, it prohibits the imposition of bail that is considered unreasonable. This is important to ensure that individuals are not subjected to excessive financial burdens that could deny them the opportunity to secure their release before trial.

While options relating to the right to a fair trial, protection against self-incrimination, and public trials are significant legal protections under other amendments of the Constitution (such as the Sixth and Fifth Amendments), they do not fall under the prohibitions specifically laid out in the Eighth Amendment. Therefore, the focus on unreasonable bail as a specific concern of the Eighth Amendment is what makes this answer the most accurate in relation to the question asked.