Inmates Making Masks

HOPE – Due to the shortage of N95 personal protection masks, and the inability to get them, Hempstead County Sheriff James Singleton took $200 of his personal funds and had his staff purchase cloth, elastic bands, felt, and thread at Walmart.

Sheriff Singleton instructed Jail Administrator Captain James Wise to have inmates who were assigned to the Jail’s Laundry and who take care of mending of jail uniforms to start making cloth masks which will be given to detention officers and office personnel.

The mask is made by using two pieces of cloth and a piece of felt approximately 9”x 12,” and  two pieces of elastic sewn together and pressed by an iron to make three folding lines.

The Sheriff said, “Handmade masks are far from ideal, but N95 masks and surgical masks are in short supply, so handmade masks will be used to extend the life of medical-grade masks, which would typically be disposed of after seeing a single person. In some cases, where there’s an even greater shortage, homemade masks are being used as a primary form of protection. The homemade are better than nothing, and will help our detention personnel and deputies until we can obtain masks on the open market. Their purpose is to keep a barrier between officers and persons who are coughing ir sneezing during the normal course of their official duties.”

“We do have a very limited N95 mask supply and other personal protection equipment due to the current need of first responders, and health care facilities,” the Sheriff added.