Massachusetts corrections officers are asking state legislators to pass a bill that would allow them to carry concealed firearms almost anywhere in the state the way most other types of law enforcement officers can.
A federal law exempts current and retired "qualified law enforcement officers" from state laws limiting the ability of most other people to carry a concealed gun. The federal Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act of 2004 (Public Law 108-277) defines a "qualified" officer, in part, as having "statutory powers of arrest" – something corrections officers who guard prisons typically don't have.
