In a bid to safeguard correctional officers, a former corrections officer who suffered a near-fatal attack inside a Massachusetts prison is pushing for a state ban on gym equipment in medium and maximum security facilities. According to CBS News Boston, Matt Tidman made an emotional appeal to a legislative committee, recounting how an inmate's assault left him in a coma and with permanent disabilities, including being rendered deaf in his right ear and blind in his right eye.
The attack in question, utilizing a metal bar from gym equipment, occurred on August 31, 2022, at MCI Shirley, with the assailant continuing to face criminal charges. After the incident, which put Tidman on life support and in a long coma, the Department of Corrections took swift action, temporarily removing exercise equipment from prisons. A permanent solution, however, hinges on passing state legislation, a point that Tidman emphasized, hoping his traumatic experience will shed more light on a little-publicized reality within prison walls. "Nobody deserves this, my family doesn't deserve this," Tidman told the committee in gripping testimony.
The legislative bill, dubbed "Matt's Bill" and designated as House Bill 2422, seeks to eliminate free weights from the state's higher-security prisons and make sure all exercise equipment is secure. Supporters of the bill, such as Kevin Flanagan from the Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union, have been vocal, stating, "We are not here to take away inmates' rights to exercise. We are here to make sure the officers who take care of the inmates are also safe," as reported by CBS News Boston.
Miraculously surviving a coma and beating the odds to stand and speak before the legislators, Tidman's recovery has been dubbed a 'miracle' by his doctors. Despite not remembering the attack, his resolve remains firm, bolstered by support from the community and a family that fought tirelessly at his side. According to an NBC Boston report, Tidman acknowledged their efforts and sacrifice, saying, "Luckily, with all of my friends and my family, I'm still here," and stressed the importance of improving safety measures to protect his former colleagues still at risk.
