Committee hears bill to move county correctional nurses into Group 4 retirement

The Joint Committee on Public Service heard testimony supporting House Bill 2980, which would reclassify county correctional nurses and certain other in‑house medical staff into Group 4 retirement status.

Proponents told the committee the work of correctional nurses places them in frequent, high‑risk contact with inmates who have complex medical and behavioral health needs, and that reclassification would improve recruitment and retention.

Representative Altrino, the bill sponsor, said he filed H.2980 and submitted written testimony. He described long experience working with correctional nursing staff and said nurses “are just as important as our correction officers” because they often work one‑on‑one with incarcerated people.

Sheriff (Middlesex County) told the committee his office backs the measure and provided data intended to show the clinical acuity and workplace risk nurses face. He said the jail receives roughly 4,000 admissions and exits annually, that 55 percent of people entering custody have a diagnosed mental illness and 41 percent have a diagnosed substance use disorder; he also said his health services unit records more than 135,000 contacts a year and that since last October his office documented 122 staff assaults that led to criminal charges. “Classifying our correctional nurses as Group 4 is truly a matter of equity and fairness,” the sheriff said, adding that many nurses work in more isolated settings than corrections officers.

Leanne Cameron, nurse manager for Middlesex Jail and House of Correction, told the committee correctional nursing includes intake assessments, medication administration (including MAT), triage and frequent one‑on‑one contact with patients in settings that can require de‑escalation and joint response with security staff. “Working as a nurse in a correctional facility presents unique security challenges,” she said, and said the change could help retention and staff morale.

The sheriff said a prior analysis by the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission (PERAC) estimated the fiscal impact would be small because many counties use private vendors for jail medical services; he said about 18 in‑house positions statewide would be affected.

No formal committee action was recorded during the session. Committee members asked about day‑to‑day duties and turnover; witnesses described unpredictable shifts, incidents that require medical or security responses, and staff who leave early in training because the work proved too intense.

Supporters asked the committee to report H.2980 favorably so it could move through the legislative process.

Votes, formal motions or amendments on H.2980 were not recorded during the hearing.