Chapter 127 of the of the Massachusetts General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following section:

Section 36 ½.  No commissioner or superintendent of a correctional institution of the commonwealth or any jail or house of correction in the commonwealth or the keeper of such jail or house of correction may prohibit, eliminate or unreasonably or unjustifiably limit in-person visitation of inmates, nor may such commissioner, superintendent, or keeper enter into any arrangement with any vendor that prohibits, eliminates or limits in-person visitation of inmates, nor may such commissioner, superintendent, or keeper coerce, compel, or otherwise pressure an inmate to forego or limit in-person visitation. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit temporary suspension of visitation privileges for individual inmates for misbehavior, nor temporary suspension of visitation privileges within a facility for the duration of a bonafide emergency, provided that in-person visitation shall be restored as soon as is practicable after the resolution of said emergency.