Governor Ayotte picks current US Marshal, a Biden appointee, to lead N.H. Department of Corrections
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The position has been open since former DOC commissioner Helen E. Hanks's
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Due to low staffing levels amid a difficult environment for recruitment and retention, corrections officers have reportedly been working three extra shifts per week, resulting in
The person who has been serving as interim DOC commissioner since Hanks left, John V. Scippa, said he has known Hart for years and fully expects him to bring a sense of 'strength and steadiness' to the commissioner's office.
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'I'm confident he will serve with the same integrity and commitment that have defined his entire career,' Scippa said.
Hart has been serving as the US Marshal in New Hampshire since 2023. He was appointed to that role by President Joe Biden and confirmed by the US Senate.
Before that, Hart spent more than a decade working as chief of the Londonderry Police Department, overseeing a roster of more than 90 employees until his retirement in 2022. He served on the New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council and on the trustee board for the New Hampshire Retirement System. He was previously elected to two terms as the Rockingham County Attorney in the 1990s.
Hart, a US Marine Corps veteran, said he is honored to have Ayotte's nomination.
'It has been my privilege to spend my career in service to the people of New Hampshire,' he said, '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.'
For his nomination to be confirmed, Hart will need to win the support of at least three executive councilors.
This story appeared in Globe NH | Morning Report, a free newsletter focused on New Hampshire, including great coverage from the Boston Globe and links to interesting articles elsewhere. To receive it via email Monday through Friday,
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Steven Porter can be reached at
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