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.
Learn more about the masks here.
About the National Sheriffs’ Association:
The National Sheriffs’ Association is one of the largest associations of law enforcement professionals in the U.S., representing more than 3,000 elected Sheriffs across the nation, and with a total membership of more than 14,000. NSA is a non-profit organization dedicated to raising the level of professionalism among Sheriffs, their deputies, and others in the field of law enforcement, public safety, and criminal justice. Throughout its eighty-year history, NSA has also served as an information resource for all law enforcement, as well as State governments and the Federal government.
About REFORM Alliance:
The REFORM Alliance is committed to advancing criminal justice reforms that increase public safety and reduce the number of people who are unjustly trapped in the system, starting with probation and parole. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, REFORM has made protecting incarcerated people, law enforcement, and correctional staff its top priority. In addition to securing and helping distribute PPE, REFORM has also released the SAFER policy plan to help governments prevent the spread of the coronavirus behind bars. REFORM’s founding partners include award-winning recording artist Meek Mill; Philadelphia 76ers partner and Fanatics Executive Chairman Michael Rubin; entrepreneur and business mogul Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter; Kraft Group CEP and New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft; Brooklyn Nets co-owner and philanthropic investor Clara Wu Tsai; Third Point LLC CEO and founder Daniel S. Loeb; Galaxy Digital CEO and founder Michael E. Novogratz; Vista Equity Partners founder, chairman, and CEO Robert F. Smith; Arnold Ventures co-founder Laura Arnold. CNN host, author and activist Van Jones serves as the organization’s CEO.
