Corrections commissioner outlines population trends, reentry waiver and recruitment gains

CONCORD — New Hampshire Department of Corrections Commissioner Helen Hanks briefed House Finance Division I about inmate population trends, probation and parole caseloads, staff vacancies, medical costs and infrastructure needs.

Hanks told lawmakers the in‑custody population was 1,925 on Jan. 1, 2025. She said that during her tenure the department reduced recidivism from 48% to roughly 40% and attributed the change to expanding reentry services and specialty supervision programs.

She reported the department is recruiting more probation and parole officers and has reduced average caseloads from about 1:94 toward a current average near 1:54. Hanks emphasized the national best practices target of 1:50 for general supervision and 1:35 for specialty caseloads such as drug‑court participants. Smaller caseloads, she said, allow closer supervision of high‑risk people and can reduce returns to incarceration.

Hanks described staffing and overtime dynamics: the department recently increased starting pay for correctional officers to improve recruitment; overtime hours have decreased while the hourly overtime rate has risen, driven in part by negotiated pay increases. She said vacancy rates among law enforcement ranks have improved but remain elevated; at the time of testimony the law‑enforcement vacancy rate was about 42%.

On health care, Hanks said the department is pursuing a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Section 1115 reentry waiver. The waiver, which began Jan. 1, 2025, will allow Medicaid coverage 45 days before release, two pre‑release provider encounters, two peer encounters and a 30‑day supply of medications upon release; the department expects earlier cohorts to begin using those benefits in mid‑February. Hanks said the waiver could reduce general‑fund medical costs by shifting eligible inpatient and discharge medication payments to Medicaid.

Hanks described infrastructure pressures at the state prison for men and said replacement planning is underway. She noted boilers and refrigeration systems have become increasingly fragile and that ARPA‑funded engineering work and a forthcoming RFI/RFP process will guide possible replacement plans. She said the women’s prison is generally in better condition.

The commissioner summarized recruitment and retention work: increased outreach to colleges and high schools, career fairs and a peer‑support and wellness program for staff. Staffing initiatives also include per‑diem non‑benefited positions that allow retirees and students to help run control rooms and other unarmed duties as the department recruits full‑time officers.

Lawmakers asked about daily incarceration costs, risk groups among people on parole and use of interstate transfers for security and specialized housing. Hanks said the annual per‑person cost of incarceration used in prior reports was about $78,542 (roughly $214 per day) and that parole supervision costs were roughly $858 per year — figures she said would be updated and provided to the committee.

Hanks closed by saying the department would continue to provide requested data on capacity, age and tenure breakdowns of staff, and detailed project cost estimates for capital needs.