We all know that a topic that frequently pops up in political debates is the death penalty. Those who are in favor of capital punishment argue that it would help to detract from the issue of overpopulation in our prisons, as well as serve as a powerful deterant to crime; meanwhile, the con side says that the financial costs of capital punishment are several times that of keeping someone in prison for life, and that there is a possibility that innocent men and women may be put to death. My opinion on this matter is not important, but my ideas for an alternative to the death penalty are.
For those who were convicted of crimes warranting capital punishment, I would encourage, rather than immediate death, gladiator-style battles to the death. From its appearence in the 3rd century BCE, these battles were successful in entertaining the public, while also getting rid of dangerous criminals. However, if the prisoner were successful in defeating his opponent, he would be allowed to live, and would recieve rewards in the form of a bigger jail cell, cigarettes, ect...
There are several options for the opponents used in the battles. Firstly, prisoners on death row could be paired off for battles, reducing by half the number worthy of capital punishment. What an improvement! Another option would be to allow the family of those who suffered at the hand of the criminal to fight. This would greatly help in the recovery process for these family members.
Truely, I can think of no possible arguements for this proposal, from which everyone benefits. The prisoners get a chance at life, the family gets a chance at revenge, and there is the opportunity for much financial gain for the jail system from battle ticket sales. Its a win-win situation.
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