New Hampshire Department of Corrections
Encyclopedia
Executive agency
An executive agency, also known as a next-step agency, is a part of a government department that is treated as managerially and budgetarily separate in order to carry out some part of the executive functions of the United Kingdom government, Scottish Government, Welsh Assembly or Northern Ireland...
of the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
; charged with overseeing the state correctional facilities, supervising probation
Probation
Probation literally means testing of behaviour or abilities. In a legal sense, an offender on probation is ordered to follow certain conditions set forth by the court, often under the supervision of a probation officer...
and parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
es, and serving in an advisory capacity in the prevention of crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...
and delinquency
Juvenile delinquency
Juvenile delinquency is participation in illegal behavior by minors who fall under a statutory age limit. Most legal systems prescribe specific procedures for dealing with juveniles, such as juvenile detention centers. There are a multitude of different theories on the causes of crime, most if not...
. As of June 30, 2007, the Department had an inmate population of 2870, 12,180 on probation or parole, and 974 total employees, 562 as corrections officers and 70 as probation/parole officers. The agency has its headquarters in Concord
Concord, New Hampshire
The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695....
.
The largest correctional facility in the state is the New Hampshire State Prison for Men
New Hampshire State Prison for Men
New Hampshire State Prison for Men is a New Hampshire Department of Corrections prison in New Hampshire, United States. Located in Concord, New Hampshire, it is equipped to accept maximum, medium, and minimum security prisoners....
in Concord.
Administration
The Division of Administration oversees the business operations for the Department of Corrections.Adult Parole Board
The Adult Parole Board is an independent agency that reports directly to the Governor. The board consists of seven members appointed by the Governor and approved by the Executive CouncilExecutive Council of New Hampshire
The Executive Council of the State of New Hampshire is the executive body of the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The Executive Council advises the Governor on all matters and provides a check on the governor's power. New Hampshire is one of the few states that has an Executive Council, and is the...
. Members serve five-year terms, and may serve no more than two consecutive terms. By law, three board members must preside over each hearing. The board is part-time, which means that members report for duty only when scheduled for hearings. Board members are always available to issue arrest warrants for parole violators, and to consult with parole officers regarding problem cases.
Correctional Industries
Correctional Industries provides inmates the opportunity to learn job skills and develop good work habits. Each Industry shop has a training component that covers such topics as safety, quality control, and skill development.Field Services
The Division of Field Services supervises New Hampshire offenders who are not currently incarcerated.- Probation - When an individual has been convicted of a misdemeanor or felony and released into the community for supervision
- Parole - A legal status whereby an offender convicted of a felony and sentenced to the New Hampshire State Prison is released into the community by the parole board.
Field Services is responsible for the following:
- Approximately 4,000 people on Probation
- Approximately 1,300 people on parole
- Approximately 350 people who are released on bail
- Approximately 2,700 people who have been ordered to pay restitution to a victim
- Approximately 60 individuals on Administrative Home Confinement (sometimes called electronic monitoring or the "ankle bracelet")
- Approximately 500 people for other types of supervision
Field Services is also responsible for conducting Pre-Sentencing Investigations. These investigations are requested by a court of law. It includes a thorough evaluation of the offender's criminal charge, a thorough review of the circumstances including interviews with affected parties, and a recommendation to sentencing judge.
The Division of Field Services also supervises offenders on probation or parole from other jurisdictions using an Interstate Compact agreement.
Forensic & Medical Services
The Division of Forensic and Medical Services is responsible for the provision and coordination of all health and mental health services received by inmates at all facilities operated by the Department of Corrections.Transitional Housing
There are three Transitional Housing Units, formerly called halfway houses, and one Transitional Work Center.State prison facilities
The Department of Corrections manages the operations of four secure prison facilities within the state:| Name | Location | Security level | Capacity | Prisoners | Gender |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakes Region Facility Lakes Region Facility Lakes Region Facility was a state prison in Laconia, Belknap County, New Hampshire, in the United States. The facility was operated by the New Hampshire Department of Corrections, and has been closed as of June 30, 2009 as a result of the late-2000s recession.... |
Laconia, New Hampshire As of the census of 2000, there were 16,411 people, 6,724 households, and 4,168 families residing in the city. The population density was 809.3 people per square mile . There were 8,554 housing units at an average density of 421.8 per square mile... |
|
|
||
| Northern NH Correctional Facility Northern New Hampshire Correctional Facility The Northern New Hampshire Correctional Facility is a state prison in Berlin, New Hampshire, USA, a part of the New Hampshire Department of Corrections.... |
Berlin, New Hampshire Berlin is a city along the Androscoggin River in Coos County in northern New Hampshire, United States. The population was 10,051 at the 2010 census. It includes the village of Cascade. Located on the edge of the White Mountains, the city's boundaries extend into the White Mountain National Forest... |
|
|
|
|
| State Prison for Men New Hampshire State Prison for Men New Hampshire State Prison for Men is a New Hampshire Department of Corrections prison in New Hampshire, United States. Located in Concord, New Hampshire, it is equipped to accept maximum, medium, and minimum security prisoners.... |
Concord, New Hampshire The city of Concord is the capital of the state of New Hampshire in the United States. It is also the county seat of Merrimack County. As of the 2010 census, its population was 42,695.... |
|
|
|
|
| State Prison for Women New Hampshire State Prison for Women New Hampshire State Prison for Women is the only women's prison in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. The New Hampshire Department of Corrections facility is located in Goffstown, Hillsborough County.... |
Goffstown, New Hampshire Goffstown is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 17,651 at the 2010 census. The compact center of town, where 3,196 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as the Goffstown census-designated place and is located at the... |
|
|
|
|
See also
- List of law enforcement agencies in New Hampshire
- List of United States state correction agencies
- PrisonPrisonA prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...