Council Moves Quickly, Unanimously To Confirm Scippa As Interim Corrections Commissioner

By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH

CONCORD, NH — John Scippa was nominated and immediately confirmed as interim commissioner of the Department of Corrections Wednesday by the state's Executive Council.

Scippa, a resident of Exeter, will remain director of New Hampshire Police Standards and Training, which serves to train all police and corrections officers in the state, and will serve for 90 days following the Gov. Kelly Ayotte's announcement Monday that Helen Hanks was out as commissioner and Assistant Commissioner Paul Raymond was on leave.

"I appreciate my experience working for the state of New Hampshire," Hanks wrote in her resignation letter, and asked that the "relentless" work of the department's employees "never go unappreciated..." See related story about new allegations about Hanks here: https://indepthnh.org/2025/05/21/defense-motion-ousted-doc-commissioner-hanks-destroyed-evidence-in-murder-probe/

Scippa has worked as director of Police Standards and Training since March, 2020 and was Police Chief in Stratham for nine years between 2009-2018, according to his Linkedin account. Ayotte said he has an assistant at police standards who can lead there while he takes on new but temporary responsibilities at corrections.

In an unusual way, the Executive Council received the governor's nomination and voted immediately on Scippa's confirmation in the same meeting. Usually, there is at least a two-week break between nominations and confirmations. Scippa lingered after the meeting to talk with Executive Councilors.

Ayotte declined to go into specifics on why Hanks left other than to direct questions to the Attorney General's Office.

Meeting with the press after the meeting, she said "I can tell you this that my goal is to make sure that the Department of Corrections is led effectively and that...there is a good culture there, that they are treated appropriately, those they have in custody of course, are treated appropriately within our laws. With the Department of Corrections, we now have Commissioner Hanks resigned, that as you have been told the assistant commissioner (Paul Raymond) is on leave. I cannot comment any further. You'd have to ask the attorney general about those matters.

"And in addition to that, I will tell you that I do have confidence that Director Scippa from the Police Standards and Training Council will be acting director in the interim while I conduct a search for a permanent commissioner for the department of corrections and I want to make sure that that department is in a good position.

"We also, I think Director Scippa with his experience will also be able to give me some insight as to how things are running in the department as we conduct this search," Ayotte said.

Asked if she and Hanks had conflicting visions for the department, she said that Hanks departure had nothing to do with that although she noted "my number one priority is public safety. And I would hope whoever is in that position would be the number one issue as well."

Asked if there was a concern about items being procured without council approval, Ayotte said "you have to follow the governor and council process," but referred that line of questioning to the attorney general.

The governor said she believes if it takes longer than 90 days to find a permanent replacement for Hanks, Scippa will also be willing to stay on.

"He's very, very well respected, universally," she said noting he has an understanding of certification of corrections officers and said she thought he was the best person and noted that he has an assistant at Police Standards and Training.

The House budget for the next two years has called for a 10 percent reduction in staffing and funding for corrections.

Ayotte's proposed budget was not that draconian but the governor said she is hopeful that the Senate will restore much of that funding so that its operation will be within the law.

"There was a great variance between what we recommended," she said, with the House. "I don't believe the department could sustain all the reductions made by the House of Representatives."

This article first appeared on InDepthNH.org and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.