Recording artists Jay-Z and Meek Mill's organization, REFORM Alliance gave more than 130,000 surgical masks to correctional facilities to help inmates, jail officers, and health care workers to survive the current coronavirus pandemic.
According to a statement from REFORM Alliance as posted on Billboard, the virus spreads on closed environments like prisons.
The statement read that the virus is a significant threat to public health, and "right now, hardly any government officials have a plan to address this crisis. REFORM does." REFORM has worked with experts and advocates from "across the political aisle" to develop recommendations keep everyone SAFE, the organization added.
REFORM sent 40,000 masks to the Tennessee Dept. of Corrections and 50,000 masks to New York's Rikers Island with additional 2,500 masks due to the 200 cases in the penitentiary. The group also gave 5,000 masks to the Mississippi State Penitentiary and more than 30,000 masks to prisons in South Carolina. Van Jones, the group's CEO, made a statement that the pandemic that reached Rikers Island serve as a warning to all jail officials and staff all over the country. REFORM Alliance was founded in 2019 with a mission to advance criminal justice reform and remove laws and policies that cause injustice in the United States. To do so, they pass probation reform bills at the state level, using media to share their thoughts for the need of comprehensive reform and build an inclusive, bipartisan union of leaders who want to transform the criminal justice system in the country, according to Variety. Per the website, the Alliance started when Mill was arrested due to minor technical probation violations for which he was given a four-year sentence. The sentencing led to the rise of the #FreeMeek movement. Mill was released on bail in April 2018. The board of trustees includes Laura Arnold of Arnold Ventures, Robert Kraft of New England Patriots, Daniel S. Loeb of Third Point, Michael Novogratz of Galaxy Digital, Michael Rubin of Philadelphia 76ers, Robert F. Smith of Vista Equity Partners, and Clara Wu Tsai of Brooklyn Nets. Here are other artists who are reaching out to help people in need during the pandemic. P!nk P!nk donated one million dollars to support the efforts of health workers in Los Angeles and Philadelphia. She said on her post on Instagram that she donated $500,000 to Temple University Hospital Emergency Fund in Philadelphia and another half a million to Mayor's Emergency COVID-19 Crisis Fund in L.A. She tested positive for coronavirus two weeks ago, but she has recovered. Fall Out Boy Last Friday, rock band Fall out Boy pledged $100,000 to the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund. Rihanna Pop singer Rihanna donated protective gear to hospitals in New York as the state is now battling the pandemic. Gov. Cuomo thanked her and her foundation for the donation of PPEs to hospitals in the state. Rihanna also donated $5 million to other groups who are battling the outbreak in the U.S., Caribbean, and Africa through the Clara Lionel Foundation. Miley Cyrus and Cody Simpson The couple brought 120 tacos to a local hospital as a show of gratitude to the health care workers who are now trying to "flatten the curve" of the pandemic.
Rapper Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter was one of the founders of REFORM AllianceAbout REFORM
Rapper Meek Mill (left) was arrested due to a minor technical probation violation and sentenced to four years in prison. The sentence led to the formation of REFORM Alliance founded by himself and Jay-ZOther musicians helping in the fight against COVID-19
© 2024 MusicTimes.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
