Jay-Z and Meek Mill send 100k masks to prisons that are ‘sitting ducks’ amid COVID-19 pandemic
Rappers Jay-Z and Meek Mill announced they were forming a criminal justice reform organization last year.
Now, to protect staff and inmates from the coronavirus pandemic, the organization sent nearly 100,000 surgical masks to prisons and jails across the United States on Friday.
Contagious diseases can wreak havoc quickly on correctional facilities because prisoners live in such crowded quarters, and are unable to practice social distancing.
AdvocaJay-Z and Meek Mill’s criminal justice reform organization is providing 100,000 surgical masks to prisons and jails to protect the people working and living in the correctional facilities; seen 2019
‘It’s a very vulnerable population,’ REFORM Alliance’s chief advocacy officer Jessica Jackson explained to CBS News. ‘We’re really worried about the number of people coming in and out of the facility, and the fact that the people living there might be sitting ducks during this pandemic.’
The group’s website hosts two petitions, which note that hardly any states have plans to address this crisis, which could become a ‘serious threat’ to all.
On social media, the organization revealed 40,0000 masks would go to Tennessee, 50,000 to Rikers Island and 5,000 to Parchman.
Doing good: The rappers, who both grew up impoverished communities riddled with crime, launched Reform Alliance to lobby for changes to probation and parole laws last year; pictured January 2019
Additionally, 2,500 were sent to Rikers Island’s medical facility.
‘Thanks to leadership from our friend @shakasenghor, we were able to rush 50,000 masks into Rikers Island (where there are nearly 500 confirmed cases of #COVID19 among incarcerated people and staff,’ the advocates captioned an Instagram of multiple boxes ready to be shipped.
Around the country cities are making decisions to release inmates amid fears of the coronavirus outbreak.
Late last month, around 10% of the entire LA County prison population was released, New Jersey announced plans to release ‘low-risk’ jail inmates and New York City released at least 650 inmates from Rikers Island.
Much-needed: While the number of inmates catching the virus spikes, the organization saw many jails and prisons still did not have the resources to protect them
While the number of inmates catching the virus climbs, the organization was prompted to send masks because many jails and prisons just don’t have the resources.
‘The response was, ‘please provide the masks, we really need them.’ They want to protect the people working and living in the facilities,’ Jackson said. ‘I think Rikers Island especially, they are very aware the virus has hit and so many lives are now at risk.’
She added, ‘We’re still looking at jail and prison populations that are completely overcrowded to dangerous levels when you’re looking at a pandemic like this head-on.’