Kelly Ayotte has a grammatical note for the officials that run the state’s prisons: The people held there are “inmates,” not “residents.”

The governor sent a letter directing Helen Hanks, the Department of Corrections commissioner, to refer to incarcerated individuals as “inmates,” as they’re called in state law.

Hanks has preferred the term “residents,” which is used by some people in the corrections industry to avoid calling them “inmates,” “prisoners,” or “offenders,” which some view as dehumanizing.

Ayotte – and seven law enforcement leaders throughout the state – say that needs to end.

“Rehabilitative efforts should be pursued without ignoring the reality of incarceration,” Ayotte said. “The label of ‘resident’ – currently used by the Department of Corrections – for incarcerated persons obscures the joint goals of deterrence, rehabilitation and punishment.”

Hanks has made rehabilitation a top priority during her eight years as commissioner, saying it’s central to the department’s work. It’s also a key factor in her request to build a new men’s state prison, where she’s said she hopes the design will cater more to rehabilitation and recovery than the current model does.

Besides the statutory argument, Ayotte said that the term “residents” could also be confused with people who receive care at New Hampshire Hospital and those at the state’s veterans’ home.

A letter signed by representatives of multiple law enforcement unions and associations praised Ayotte’s push for the legal terminology. They said the varied nomenclature, including “Person Under Departmental Control (PUDC),” “clients,” and even “students,” has caused confusion and “misperception.”

“While correctional administrators have a critical role in supporting rehabilitation and reentry efforts, changing the statutory terminology does not inherently contribute to that process,” they said in the letter. “Clarity and consistency in language are essential for both the justice system and the public, ensuring transparency and maintaining the integrity of legal designations.”

Hanks and her office said the state currently has 1,973 individuals in State corrections facilities, including both those who are incarcerated for criminal convictions and those who are civilly committed in the Secure Psychiatric Unit.

“The term ‘resident’ was introduced to change the way individuals and their families were addressed and by a broader national movement,” Hanks’s office said in a statement. “The Governor’s directive is consistent with New Hampshire law and helps establish uniformity within the system.”

 

Charlotte Matherly is the statehouse reporter for the Concord Monitor and Monadnock Ledger-Transcript in partnership with Report for America. Follow her on X at @charmatherly, subscribe to her Capital Beat newsletter and send her an email at cmatherly@cmonitor.com.