4.44 Elements of Claim: Failure to Protect from Attack — SpecifiATTACac— - Convicted Prisoners - Eighth Amendment is a legal term used to refer to the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. This clause is often used to protect convicted prisoners from specific attacks, such as physical abuse, sexual assault, or other forms of violence, that could amount to cruel and unusual punishment. This concept is the basis for a claim of failure to protect a prisoner from attack, as the state or government entity responsible for the prisoner’s safety is obligated to provide reasonable protection from harm. In order to prove a claim of failure to protect from attack, the plaintiff must show that a specific attack occurred and that the state or government entity responsible for the prisoner’s safety failed to provide reasonable protection.