Quote:

Arguing that the death penalty should not be used because rich people can get out of it is like arguing that imprisonment or fines should be abolished for the same reason



Except.

Death is forever.

I do get kind of hung up on the idea that "and justice for all" should mean just that.

I know that the system can't be perfect, But that doesn't mean we should stop trying to get it there.

Quote:

There was a time when prison was not punishment but a place where a convict awaited punishment



I'm not quite sure that I get your drift??

An interesting bit of trivia: The word "penitentiary" comes from the same root as the word "repent".
The idea was that criminals would have time to reflect on their behavior and be encouraged to change it so they could be a productive part of society.

Now, however, they are institutions of higher criminal education where one may go in as a minor miscreant, and graduate as a hard core felon.

Your ideas of alternative sentencing have merit.
I think justice would be better served though if a minor offender e.g., a thief, were placed in house arrest (or stocks) for a set period every day, but also required to work and pay restitution of double the damages.

Money is also a deterrent, maybe more so than public humiliation.

Contra todo mal, mezcal; contra todo bien, también