Summary: H.2736 — An Act relative to the security of exercise equipment and free weights in correctional institutions
Overview
H.2736, introduced February 27, 2025, seeks to enhance security within Massachusetts correctional facilities by tightening how exercise equipment and weights are managed. The bill is titled “Matt’s Law” and would codify new responsibilities for prison superintendents and restrict access to free weights for inmates in certain facilities.
Purpose and Intent
- Improve safety and security by preventing removal or illicit possession of exercise equipment.
- Remove access to free weights for inmates in medium-security and maximum-security institutions.
- Clarify accountability at the administrative level (superintendents) for securing equipment.
Key Provisions
- Section 2 (amendment to Section 14 of Chapter 125): The superintendent shall be responsible for ensuring that any and all exercise equipment accessible by inmates is secured in order to prevent its removal and that no inmate in a medium-security or maximum-security correctional institution has access to any free weights.
- Section 1 designates the act as “Matt’s Law.”
Affects and Implementation
- Affected entities: Massachusetts correctional institutions (especially medium- and maximum-security facilities), inmates, and facility superintendents.
- Practical implementation would require secure storage or controlled access for all inmate-accessible exercise equipment and a prohibition on free weights for inmates in higher-security settings.
- The bill’s text does not specify an explicit effective date; if enacted, the provisions would take effect per standard state-law effective-date rules upon passage or as otherwise provided in the statute.
Procedural History and Status
- Referred to: Public Safety and Homeland Security (February 27, 2025).
- Senate concurrence noted on February 27, 2025.
- Related actions:
- Hearing scheduled (June 26, 2025).
- Reported favorably by committee and referred to the House Steering, Policy and Scheduling (October 8, 2025).
- Placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting (second reading) on November 17, 2025.
- Legislative lineage: Similar matter previously filed in 2023-2024 as House Bill No. 2422.
Significance and Considerations
- The bill codifies a clear security expectation for inmate-accessible equipment and restricts high-security inmates’ access to free weights, potentially reducing contraband risk and violence associated with unsecured equipment.
- Potential costs include enhanced storage solutions, security staffing considerations, and facility safety audits.
- As a relatively focused change, it alters operational protocols primarily within higher-security facilities and may necessitate updated training and compliance measures for correctional staff.
