After all they provide me with eggs. I was wondering what they think about all day. I comforted myself in noting that they were tiny creatures, had each other for company, lived mostly under the open sky and had plenty of water and a variety of foods. I couldn't help but realise that their small space was about the same size as a prison cell. We condemn human beings to walk around in similar tiny spaces for years on end and most of us never stop to question the morality of it.
Many prisoners never see the sky or the grass, have poor food and little if any company.
Usually they are not allowed to be productive. They lack stimulation to the point where they shut their minds down in order to cope. When they have done their time, we set them free again. A Catholic Perspective on Crime and Criminal Justice, has attempted to question the morality of some dimensions of the dilemma posed by the hens. Because of the US global influence, the answers are of considerable interest in countries way beyond American shores.