Now if we could get back to hangings in the town square - I think that people would take breaking the law a bit more seriously.  

You've got to admit-some of those Middle Eastern/Asian countries don't have huge crime problems, like we do.  However, you've also got to admit that a lot of their punishments are what we'd consider "severe".  

I'm not a huge fan of flogging or the death penalty, but what we have in place isn't obviously is not working.

If you don't value your life and those lives of people around you, then it might be more of a service to let you die than hang out in jail for 30-40 years- if you are a young person and you've got no chance for parole-no need to keep these people housed for decades.