Why did the Supreme Court rule that people with intellectual disabilities cannot be executed?

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Padded gurney with black restraints and IV stands, used for lethal injection, sits in a bare room with white cinder block walls at the New Mexico state penitentiary. — capital punishment Lethal-injection room.

In the 2002 case Atkins v. Virginia, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that executing individuals with intellectual disabilities violates the Eighth Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment.1

The Court based its decision on the following principles:

Evolving Standards of Decency: The Court determined that societal views had shifted, noting that many state legislatures had moved toward more lenient policies regarding the punishment of individuals with intellectual disabilities.1
Lack of Penological Justification: The justices concluded that the execution of such offenders does not measurably advance the primary goals of the death penalty, specifically deterrence and retribution.1
Substantive Restriction: Because such punishment is considered excessive, the Constitution imposes a substantive restriction on the state’s power to take the life of an offender with an intellectual disability.1

By reversing the lower court's judgment, the Supreme Court established that the death penalty is not a suitable or constitutional punishment for these individuals.1