Justice 101 — Join us each month as we dive into some of the most pressing issues in criminal justice today, through a historical lens and with a focus on civic education. Each program includes interactive online or in-person elements, expert voices, and opportunities for community dialogue.
Justice 101: State of the Union: Excessive Punishment The 8th Amendment and the Justice System
Wednesday, December 03, 2025
5:30 - 7:30pm EST
Hybrid program:
In person at Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site
Online via Zoom or YouTube
5:30 pm: reception
6:00 - 7:30: program
What does it mean for a punishment to be cruel and unusual? How has the interpretation of the Eighth Amendment shaped American justice over time and where is its legal interpretation today? Join the Eastern State Center for Justice Education for the October installment of Justice 101 as we explore the history, purpose, and evolving meaning of the Eighth Amendment. This timely conversation with panelists Lauren-Brooke Eisen, Senior Director of the Brennan Center’s Justice Program, and Kermit Roosevelt III, Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, will uncover how societal “standards of decency” have shifted, spotlight key Supreme Court decisions, and examine urgent questions about mass incarceration and criminal justice reform. Moderated by Dr. Kerry Sautner, President and CEO of Eastern State Penitentiary, the discussion will feature leading voices in law, history, and advocacy. Together, they will examine the definition of excessive punishment and our individual and collective role in building a justice system rooted in fairness and human dignity.
About Justice 101:
Powered by the Eastern State Center for Justice Education, Justice 101 is a monthly discussion series that dives into some of the most pressing issues in criminal justice today, through a historical lens and with a focus on civic education. Each program includes interactive online or in-person elements, expert voices, and opportunities for community dialogue.
About the Panelists:
Lauren-Brooke Eisen (she/her)
Senior Director of the Brennan Center’s Justice Program
Lauren is the Senior Director of the Brennan Center’s Justice Program where she leads the Brennan Center’s work to end mass incarceration. Her team focuses on exposing the profound social and economic hardships that impact those who encounter the justice system while creating policies that ultimately shrink its size and scope.
Before joining the Brennan Center, Eisen was a senior program associate at the Vera Institute of Justice, where she worked on the sentencing and corrections team to implement policies in multiple states to improve public safety while reducing prison populations. She also previously served as an assistant district attorney in New York City, where she worked in the Appeals Bureau, the Criminal Court Bureau, and the Sex Crimes Special Victims Bureau. Before entering law school, Eisen worked as a beat reporter for a daily newspaper in Laredo, Texas, covering criminal justice and immigration. Eisen holds an AB from Princeton University and a JD from the Georgetown University Law Center.
Kermit Roosevelt III (he/him)
Professor of Constitutional Law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School
Kermit is a professor of constitutional law at the University of Pennsylvania Law School, a former clerk for Supreme Court Justice David Souter, a member of the Presidential Commission on the Supreme Court, and an award-winning author. His latest book, The Nation That Never Was: Reconstructing America's Story, is out now.
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