William Hart would take over a Department of Corrections that has been dealing with significant prison staffing issues. (Photo by Dave Cummings/New Hampshire Bulletin)
A few months after Helen Hanks was ousted from the role amid scandal, Gov. Kelly Ayotte announced on Tuesday she is nominating William Hart to serve as the state’s next corrections commissioner.
Hart currently serves as a U.S. Marshal for New Hampshire. He was appointed to the Marshal Service by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the Senate in June 2023. Prior to that he was Londonderry’s police chief and a county attorney for Rockingham County. He’s also a Marine Corps veteran and an alum of Merrimack College and Boston College Law School.
“Bill Hart has devoted his life to protecting the people of New Hampshire and strengthening our public safety system,” Ayotte said in a statement. “His decades of service reflect his commitment, integrity, and ability to lead with both strength and fairness. I am confident he will advance the Department of Corrections’ mission to enhance public safety and that he will bring the dedication, transparency, and expertise this critical role demands.”
The corrections commissioner is responsible for managing the state’s prison system. To assume the role, Hart will need to be confirmed by the state’s Executive Council.
Hanks resigned from the position in May. Court records filed allege she destroyed evidence in a murder investigation over a death inside one of the state’s prisons. At the same time, the department was facing major staffing issues; Hanks told the Bulletin last June that 47% of its positions were vacant and the department had incurred a $3.44 million deficit caused in large part by excessive overtime needed to cover the vacancies. Hanks had also spoken out after Republican lawmakers, seeking to cut costs amid a difficult fiscal environment, cut positions from the department, arguing these changes would create an unsafe environment in the state’s prisons. John Scippa, director of New Hampshire Police Standards and Training, has served as acting corrections commissioner since.
“I am honored to be nominated to serve as Commissioner of the Department of Corrections,” Hart said in a statement. “It has been my privilege to spend my career in service to the people of New Hampshire, and I look forward to working alongside the dedicated men and women of the Department to strengthen public safety, uphold the highest standards of professionalism, and advance our shared mission of rehabilitation and the security of all Granite Staters.”
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