You know what would be an interesting idea? This site should set up an appeals page for bans. It could work like this:
• Create a new section of the site called "Appeals."
• Member has the option to only appeal non permanent bans.
• If the member chooses to appeal, a new thread is created in the Appeals section with a link to the offending post/thread.
• The member can only make the first post in the thread (still effectively banned from the rest of the site), where they make their case. They get only that one post.
• A poll is setup to convict or acquit. The only people who can vote are site staff/mods and the people who were in the thread. All votes are anonymous. Any body caught trying to manipulate the votes is permanently banned.
• If you win, the ban is lifted. If you lose, the ban is doubled.
This is unlikely to happen, but it would be a very interesting social experiment.