With the recent increase in disasters in the past months, the question arises of what happens to those who cannot assure their safety — inmates in the U.S. prison system — in the face of these devastating forces of nature.

We have done ourselves a great disservice as a country by allowing for names like Ernesto, Nana and Beryl --which sound like the names of old math teachers and used car salesmen -- to define something as powerful as a hurricane.