As more and more sectors of the nation take measures to protect citizens from the effects of the COVID-19 coronavirus, one population remains especially vulnerable because of its inability to practice social distancing — the inmate population of America’s prison system. As reports of prisons facing short supplies of personal protective equipment like masks and gloves roll in and some low-risk prisoners are released to accommodate their pre-existing conditions, Meek Mil and Jay-Z’s Reform Alliance has stepped up to fill the gap.
CBS This Morning reported today that Reform Alliance received a $10 million donation from Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey to help deliver PPE to every prison and jail in America. Reform is using the money to buy and distribute more than 10 million masks and other PPE items. The group also released a public service announcement reminding citizens on the outside that those on the inside are overwhelmingly people who have made mistakes and are paying a debt to society that shouldn’t include a potential death sentence from the coronavirus.
Just announced: The group @REFORM Alliance, which has @MeekMill and Jay-Z among its founding partners, will receive a $10 million donation from @twitter CEO @Jack Dorsey.
The funds will help deliver personal protective equipment to every prison and jail facility in America. pic.twitter.com/x0LuPYZ8B7
— CBS Mornings (@CBSMornings) May 11, 2020
Originally, it was reported that Reform Alliance planned to donate 100,000 masks, but with the influx of cash provided by Twitter, that number saw a significant jump. Meek also recently pushed fans to contact their state governors to implement his protection plan for prisons and help slow the potential spread of the virus through the vulnerable population.
Watch CBS This Morning‘s announcement above.
