Prison conditions

I believe that the humane treatment of incarcerated persons is the hallmark of any civilized society.

During Pres. Obama's recent visit to El Reno Correctional Institution he decried the fact that three full grown men must share a 9-by-10 cell. I would like to remind the president that as we sit sipping our morning coffee there are thousands of members of the United States Navy and Marine Corps deployed aboard U.S. ships around the globe.

I can tell you from my own experience that the accommodations aboard a ship would make the federal prison at El Reno look like the Ritz Carlton. I personally shared a 12-by-12 room with five other sailors. The enlisted men with whom I served, were sharing a 12-by-12 space with nine other shipmates. Our only crime was defending our country.

This story was originally published July 22, 2015 at 8:00 PM with the headline "Prison conditions."