SHERIFFS PARTNER WITH REFORM ALLIANCE TO DELIVER PPE TO EVERY JAIL IN AMERICA
Partnership will enable Sheriffs to protect incarcerated populations and jail staff from the spread of COVID-19
Alexandria, VA – The National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA) and the REFORM Alliance (REFORM) are partnering to deliver personal protective equipment (PPE) to every jail across the country in the coming weeks. REFORM is making millions of masks available to help protect every employee and incarcerated individual in jails throughout the country from the continued spread of COVID-19.
The partnership comes after REFORM secured a $10 million donation from Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s #startsmall project to help REFORM distribute PPE to every correctional facility in America. The effort is part of REFORM’s overall initiative to protect incarcerated populations and law enforcement from the virus. Already, the organization has helped distribute more than 200,000 masks to facilities, including the jails at Rikers Island (NY) and Cook County (IL). While separately, the NSA has also secured more than 200,000 masks from private partnerships.
“America’s sheriffs are grateful to the REFORM Alliance for providing the scarcely available life-saving equipment that are vital to the maintaining their jails during the pandemic,” said NSA incoming President Sheriff Dave Mahoney. “These masks will ensure sheriffs are able to keep their jails as safe and healthy as possible. We look forward to partnering with REFORM on areas as we move forward.”
“Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe," said, REFORM Alliance Chief Advocacy Officer Jessica Jackson. "We’re proud to partner with the National Sheriffs Association to help protect them and vulnerable populations in our jails from the coronavirus. We’ve seen how rapidly the virus can spread through jails and how failure to stop the spread behind bars puts local communities at risk. We've also seen sheriffs throughout the country adopt evidence-based solutions to get incarcerated people out of harm's way and remain in contact with loved ones. We hope this is one of many opportunities to work with sheriffs across the nation.”
Sheriffs oversee 85% of the more than 3200 jails in 43 states across the country. NSA will help facilitate introductions to the appropriate authorities across all 50 states and encourage law enforcement to take advantage of this opportunity to help the REFORM Alliance deliver the PPE to every jail in the United States. Jails employ tens of thousands of personnel, detention officers and medical staff.
