It is the policy of the legislature to provide special retirement benefits for and special contributions by certain correctional employees who may be required to retire at an early age because they lose the mental or physical capacity required to maintain the safety, security, discipline, and custody of inmates at state correctional facilities; of patients in the state-operated forensic services program, which is comprised of the Minnesota Security Hospital, the forensic nursing home, the forensic transition service, and the competency restoration program; of patients in the Minnesota Sex Offender Program; or of patients in the Minnesota Specialty Health System-Cambridge.