Up to 250,000 protective masks to be freely distributed to correctional officers and incarcerated individuals in states hardest hit by COVID-19

MAPLE GROVE, Minn. and SEATTLE and DALLAS and RESTON, Va., April 29, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- GUARDIAN RFID, AWS, Securus Technologies, and GTL today announce a collaborative effort to help support the Warrior Foundation's initiative to purchase and distribute up to 250,000 free N95, KN95, surgical, and 3-ply disposable masks to combat the spread of COVID-19 in U.S. correctional facilities.

Protective masks will be made available to U.S. jails and prisons most impacted by COVID-19, with emphasis on N95 and KN95 masks being distributed to correctional officers, medical staff, civilian workers, and those incarcerated individuals positively diagnosed with the COVID-19 virus. Surgical or disposable 3-ply masks will be distributed to non-infected incarcerated individuals as availability allows.

"AWS, Securus, GTL, and GUARDIAN RFID share a deep commitment to improving the safety of the Thin Gray Line," said Ken Dalley, President, Chief Warrior, GUARDIAN RFID. "Together, we're hopeful we can do our part to reduce the infection and transmission of COVID-19 in our jails and prisons, and protect millions of Americans from this pandemic."

"First and foremost, the number one priority for the corrections industry is to keep facility staff, incarcerated individuals and the community safe, which is why we are supporting the Warrior Foundation's initiative to distribute much-needed medical masks as an added effort to the assistance our organization is providing during this wide-spread health crisis," said Dave Abel, president and CEO of Aventiv Technologies, parent company of Securus Technologies.  "This is just one example of like-minded companies working together to help those in need; we're proud to be a part of it."

GUARDIAN RFID is leading the distribution effort. Masks will begin shipping to correctional facilities the week of May 4th. Facilities needing masks are encouraged to go to WarriorFoundation.us to submit their request.

Deborah Ross, CEO of the National Commission on Correctional Health Care says, "It's vital that corrections facilities, staff and inmates follow the CDC guidelines for personal protective equipment. NCCHC's latest study shows that one third of reporting jails, prisons and juvenile facilities do not have adequate PPE. It's vital for the lives and health of the staff and inmates, their families, and their communities."

All organizations interested in donating masks or making financial contributions to support the Warrior Foundation's disaster relief efforts should visit WarriorFoundation.us.

About Warrior Foundation

The Warrior Foundation is a wholly separate 501(c)(3) organized under the United States federal tax code whose mission is to provide philanthropic support for members of the Thin Gray Line through disaster relief efforts. For more information, please visit WarriorFoundation.us.

About GUARDIAN RFID

GUARDIAN RFID is a technology company whose mission is to deliver sustained operational dominance, enable decisive action, and support the care, custody and control mission-set of America's Warriors. Our work never ends in our pursuit of protecting every member of the Thin Gray Line by managing every inmate in the United States. Learn more about GUARDIAN RFID at guardianrfid.com or connect with us across our social media channels: YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter.

About Securus Technologies

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, an Aventiv Technologies company, serving more than 3,450 public safety, law enforcement and corrections agencies and over 1,200,000 incarcerated individuals across North America, Securus Technologies is committed to serve and connect by providing emergency response, incident management, public information, investigation, biometric analysis, communication, information management, inmate self-service, and monitoring products and services in order to make our world a safer place to live. Securus Technologies connecting what matters®. For more information, please visit SecurusTechnologies.com.

About GTL

GTL leads the fields of corrections technology, education, and intelligence, as well as government payment services, with visionary solutions that integrate seamlessly to deliver security, financial value, and operational efficiencies while aiding inmate rehabilitation. As a trusted industry leader, GTL provides services to over 1.6 million inmates in more than 2,300 correctional facilities in the United States and Canada, including 29 U.S. departments of corrections, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Federal Bureau of Prisons. GTL is headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, with an employee presence throughout North America. To learn more about GTL, please visit www.gtl.net or social media sites on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

SOURCE GUARDIAN RFID