BATON ROUGE, La. (BRPROUD) — Madonna’s Ray of Light Foundation is teaming up with REFORM Alliance, a criminal justice reform organization, to donate 20,000 surgical masks to Louisiana’s Department of Corrections, according to Billboard.
The move is part of a larger effort to get 100,000 masks into U.S. prisons. REFORM Alliance released a statement saying the majority of the masks will go the Cook County Jail in the Greater Chicago area.
“More than 2 million lives in prisons across America are currently at stake due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” REFORM Alliance co-chair Michael Rubin said.
“It’s absolutely crucial that we protect our inmates and prison staff, especially since social distancing guidelines are difficult to abide by in these facilities. REFORM remains committed to protecting one of our nation’s most vulnerable populations, many of whom are currently incarcerated for technical probation violations (not committing a crime), and we’re grateful for the support of our partners in this endeavor.”
Michael Rubin, REFORM Alliance Co-Chair
The remaining 30,000 masks will be divided between Vacaville Prison in California, FCI Ray Brook in New York and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department in Massachusetts.
In early April, REFORM provided 100,000 masks to Rikers Island, the Tennessee Department of Corrections and the Mississippi State Penitentiary in Parchman, Miss.
