It's a response to what many in the community see as an alarming rise in property crimes and violence. Senators heard testimony Tuesday on a bill to authorize caning as a way to punish criminals instead of just putting them in jail.

While some sympathized with the reasons behind the measure, no one testified in support of it.

Sponsor Senator Dwayne San Nicolas says he came up with the idea during a trip to Singapore, where caning he says, has been an effective tool in lowering the crime rate. But his inspiration goes back further.

As a 12-year-old, he saw news reports of the horrific rape-slaying of a 16-year-old girl on Guam, and vowed that someday he would try and stop something like that from ever happening again. "It was a very brutal, brutal murder and that stuck with my head - stuck in my head for the longest time - and I said that if I ever had a chance to make this right and to prevent crimes like this from happening to our people, that i will do it," he explained.

But among those against the measure was Acting Chief Prosecutor Heather Zona, who said, "We understand that this bill reflects a general frustration the general public has with the increased crime on Guam, and the way in which citizens have been victimized."

"While we appreciate the bill has spurred alot of discussion as to how to address crime on Guam, and that's a conversation that we welcome, there are many concerns with the introduction of corporal punishment. The Office of Attorney General does not support this bill."

She adds that no evidence has been shown that caning will reduce crime or recidivism. And it hasn't been used in the United States in 50 years.

University of Guam social work student Jeremiah Aldan also spoke against it, saying, "Rather than the bill being a remedy for crimes it has the potential to cause offenders some sort of physical, mental and emotional trauma. Even with the counseling being provided post-caning, this type of punishment could be severe and traumatic."

And Senator Telo Taitague said not only can it be considered a violation of human rights, its also unconstitutional. "In 1990, the Supreme Court addressed the issue of corporal punishment as a form of judicial sentencing in case of United States v. Tyree. In this case the defendant was sentenced to be whipped as part of the punishment. The Supreme Court upheld the defendants conviction, but held that the use of corporal punishment was prohibited under the 8th Amendment," she noted.

That amendment, of course, protects against cruel and unusual punishment.