By Lance Reynolds
Boston Herald
BOSTON — The Department of Correction is rolling out a policy to strengthen its ability to “rapidly and effectively” address the risks that correction officers face when they encounter “potentially hazardous or illicit materials” on the job.
The revamped “Unknown Substance Response Policy,” announced Friday, comes months after a local prison guard was rushed to the hospital after being exposed to a toxic substance at MCI-Shirley in July.
Under the enhancements, staff and correction officers most likely to first encounter unknown substances — those in the mail room, visiting room and admissions — are undergoing specialized training to “properly identify, handle, and manage” the materials.
All correction officers are required to complete an online training module.
The department has also introduced “state-of-the-art technology and new presumptive testing procedures to quickly identify potentially dangerous substances, facilitate real-time analysis and ensure appropriate emergency measures are taken when necessary.”
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Public Safety and Security Secretary Terrence Reidy sees the updated policy as two-fold in underscoring the department’s commitment to “strengthening security measures” and “ensuring the safety and security of all DOC facilities.”
“As Public Safety Secretary and a former correctional officer, I am acutely aware of the dangers our officers face every day,” Reidy said in a statement. “The health and well-being of DOC staff and those entrusted to their care is paramount.”
Officer John Connelly shared his “scary” story of being knocked unconscious and ending up in the hospital after being exposed to a toxic substance when attending to an unresponsive inmate in their cell on July 20.
The prison guard then looked down at the inmate’s sock and saw a package: A piece of paper was wrapped in a square. Connelly opened it up, and believed it was synthetic drug K2. He saw some white residue and quickly closed it up.
“It’s scary because it’s really affecting me pretty bad,” Connelly said in an early August video, adding he soon headed to see his neurologist to schedule an MRI of his head. “I just break out in uncontrollable shakes sometimes.”
“It’s hard to deal with my mental health right now,” he said, noting he received Narcan four times during the incident.
The Massachusetts Correction Officers Federated Union, following Connelly’s hospitalization and a reported string of similar incidents, urged the Department of Correction to implement an “exposure policy” for when officers are exposed to synthetic drugs and chemicals, including fentanyl and K2.
July’s incident was Connelly’s second exposure to toxic substances while on duty, the previous in 2018.
“I just wish we were more proactive on the drugs that are inside,” Connelly said in the video. “We go to serve and protect every day. We put our lives on the line because it’s not only about our safety, it’s about the people, the inmates that live in the institutions around the state. Their families are trusting us to make sure that they do their time and they get out.”
State DOC officials have purchased improved personal protection equipment to “keep personnel safe while responding to incidents or investigating the presence of illicit substances.” The policy also includes new protocols for “isolating and containing suspicious materials to prevent the spread of harmful substances within the facility.”
“Keeping our staff and housed population safe and healthy is our top priority,” Interim DOC Commissioner Shawn Jenkins said in a statement. “As the threat of illicit substances being secreted into correctional facilities continues nationwide, the DOC found it prudent to review and enhance existing policies.”
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