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Corrections union asks committee to include Department of Correction facilities in synthetic‑drug study bill
Summary
The Mass. Correction Officers Federated Union urged the Joint Committee to ensure Senate Bill 1603’s public‑health study of synthetic drugs includes correctional facilities, citing staff exposure and acute health incidents inside jails and prisons.
Kevin Flanagan, legislative representative for the Mass Correction Officers Federated Union, told the Joint Committee on Public Health that Senate Bill 16‑03 should explicitly include correctional facilities in a state study of synthetic drugs.
Flanagan said synthetic cannabinoids (K2) and other designer drugs have become pervasive in jails and prisons, causing extreme behavioral changes, sudden collapse and secondhand exposures that have sickened correctional officers. He said the study should examine prevalence, chemical composition and health impacts and include the Department of Correction to identify prevention, detection and accountability strategies.
Why it matters: Witnesses said synthetic-drug exposures create acute safety risks for inmates and staff and that a comprehensive public-health study would help identify prevention strategies, improve detection methods and guide policy responses in both community and institutional settings.
Next steps: The witness urged the committee to report S.1603 favorably and to ensure the study’s design explicitly includes correctional facilities and staff exposure to synthetic substances.
