As far as I know, no one has ever died from four whacks on the rear end, even though they were cruelly administered by a martial arts expert. True, Faye's back side will never be as pretty again. There was bound to be bleeding and scarring, but punishment is not supposed to be enjoyable. It is supposed to be a deterrent to undesirable behavior. Singapore prisons are places that people want to stay out of.
American prisons are places that some people are even trying to get into.
We reward our prisoners. Some people think that it was terrible that young Mr. Fay's rear end was flogged, but it was over quickly. What goes on with young men's posteriors in our prisons can not be compared to the caning. Being gang raped by members of your own sex in our prisons is much worse. Our prisons are the way they are because here in the U.S. there is no real punishment.