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Committee Hears Testimony Supporting 'Matt's Law' to Ban Free Weights in Prisons
Summary
Lawmakers and corrections representatives urged the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security to report favorably on H2736, "Matt's Law," which would codify a ban on free weights in medium- and maximum-security correctional facilities after a deadly 2019 assault on a corrections officer.
State Sen. John Cronin and co-chair Rep. Dan Cahill presided as lawmakers and corrections representatives urged the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security to give a favorable report to House Bill 2736, known as "Matt's Law." The bill would ban free weights in medium- and maximum-security correctional facilities and require that exercise equipment be permanently secured so it cannot be used as a weapon.
Supporters said the bill responds to the 2019 assault on corrections officer Matthew Tidman at MCI Shirley, when a metal free weight was used to inflict catastrophic injuries. Representative Richard Wells and other presenters described the attack and its aftermath; Tidman’s parents attended the hearing and expressed support for the measure. Kevin Flanagan, legislative representative for the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union, testified the union represents more than 3,000 correctional professionals and asked the committee to favorably report the bill.
Supporters told the committee the assault caused a fractured skull, traumatic brain injury, loss of sight in one eye and loss of hearing in one ear for Tidman, and that free weights had been removed from prisons immediately after the incident. Testimony emphasized codifying the removal in statute to prevent future administrative reversals. Flanagan said the bill is not intended to deny inmates physical activity, but to ensure that exercise is provided in ways that cannot be weaponized.
No formal motion or vote on H2736 occurred during the hearing. Committee members asked whether the Department of Correction (DOC) could act administratively; witnesses said free weights were removed after the incident but argued that statutory codification prevents future policy reversals. The testimony combined survivor impact, union safety concerns, and calls for a permanent statutory fix.
The committee did not take a vote at the hearing; supporters requested a favorable report to move the bill to further consideration.
