Coronavirus: Jay Z, Meek Mill Donate 100,000 Surgical Masks to Prisons

Entrepreneur Jay Z and rapper Meek Mill are making moves to protect prison inmates and staff from the Coronavirus COVID-19 with a donation of 100,000 surgical masks.

The Reform Alliance, an organization created by Meek Mill and Jay Z, was able to secure masks and give them back to the community.

Masks  will be distributed to multiple places including the following:

• Tennessee Department of Corrections
• Mississippi State Penitentiary
• New York’s Riker’s Island Correctional and their medical facility.

According to The Marshall Project, the infection rate at New York City’s Riker’s Island and other prison populations have been extremely problematic due to the inability for many prisoners to distance themselves. In fact, hand sanitizer is considered contraband at many prisons since it has high levels of alcohol.

Patrick Jones, 49, became the first federal inmate to die from Coronavirus on March 28. He was facing 28 years in prison and died after serving 13 years for a nonviolent drug offense.

Reform Alliance plans on obtaining more masks and distributing them to prisons across the country.

“WE FOUND 36k MASKS FOR PEOPLE BEHIND BARS IN SOUTH CAROLINA @BryanStirling, director of @scdcnews, requested our help after he saw what we could do in #Rikers, #ParchmanPrison, and @TNTDOC1. We located the masks last night and they’re on their way to the state now!”