BOSTON — At the State House, a parent’s plea before the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security to pass Matt’s Law, named for Corrections Officer Matt Tidman, badly injured in an attack at MCI Shirley in 2022.
“Common sense can be delivered here to prevent this kind of injury and incident from happening to anyone else,” John Tidman, Matt’s father, testified.
Matt Tidman was nearly beaten to death when an inmate assaulted him with a piece of gym equipment.
Matt’s law would ban free weights at prisons and require all exercise equipment to be secured.
Barnstable State Rep Steven Xiarhos is co-sponsoring Matt’s Law.
“We can’t allow our Corrections Officers to be nearly beaten to death behind the walls, in a secure prison,” Rep. Xiarhos said.
The attack on Matt Tidman cost him his sight in one eye, his hearing in one ear, and left him permanently disabled with brain trauma.
He wasn’t able to attend this hearing.
But his supporters hope Matt’s law will serve as a lasting tribute to him, as it protects future generations of correctional officers.
“We can’t fix what happened four years ago, but we can fix what’s going to happen in the future,” said Kevin Flanagan of the MA Corrections Officers Federation.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
©2025 Cox Media Group