7.15 Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments: Jail/prison Conditions of Confinement — Elements are a set of standards designed to protect the rights of detainees, prisoners, and inmates while in confinement. These standards are mandated by the U.S. Constitution, specifically the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments, and are meant to ensure that conditions of confinement do not violate the basic rights of those confined. These elements include providing adequate medical care, maintaining sanitary living conditions, providing adequate food and water, and providing humane treatment. The elements also require that prisoners be treated with dignity and have access to education and recreation, as well as access to legal counsel and the courts. There are two general types of 7.15 Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments: Jail/prison Conditions of Confinement — Element— - those applicable to all jails and prisons, and those applicable to specific states or facilities.