NH Dept of Corrections Commissioner Resigns; Democrats Have Recently Defended Her Leadership

CONCORD, N.H. — Governor Kelly Ayotte has accepted the resignation of Department of Corrections Commissioner Helen Hanks, her office announced Monday, marking a sudden change at the top of one of the state’s most complex public safety agencies.

“Governor Ayotte accepted the resignation of Department of Corrections Commissioner Helen Hanks effective today,” said spokesman John Corbett. “Under the Governor’s authority, Assistant Commissioner Paul Raymond is on leave effective immediately.”

Ayotte plans to nominate John Scippa, Director of the New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council, to serve as Acting Commissioner for up to 90 days. The nomination will go before the Executive Council.

The announcement comes about six weeks after Commissioner Hanks became a subject of public disagreement between Republican and Democratic lawmakers. During the House budget process in early April, Rep. Dan McGuire (R-Epsom), a member of the Finance Committee, stated, “The committee lost confidence in the commissioner so we had to work outside the commissioner’s office unfortunately."

Democrats on the committee quickly responded on social media, writing, “To correct the record: Democrats on the House Finance Committee have NOT lost confidence in the Commissioner of Corrections. # NHPolitics”

While the timing of Hanks’s resignation has prompted renewed interest in that exchange, the Governor’s Office has not provided any further explanation for her departure or Raymond’s leave. Neither official has issued a public statement.

Hanks had served with the department for more than two decades and was appointed commissioner in 2017. Her tenure spanned multiple administrations and saw the agency confront growing challenges around staffing, infrastructure, and inmate services.

If confirmed, Scippa will assume interim leadership of the department as the Ayotte administration begins the search for a permanent commissioner.