State prison employees have launched a public campaign to fight Gov. John Lynch's effort to replace their boss, Commissioner Stephen Curry. In recent weeks, more than two dozen prison workers have called the media and executive councilors to praise Curry's work.

Typically, prison employees decline interviews unless they have received permission from a supervisor. Several of the people who called the Monitor said they had been encouraged to do so by Maj. Dennis Cox. Cox could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Lynch nominated Hampton Police Chief William Wrenn for corrections commissioner this month after interviewing several candidates, Curry included. The Executive Council could vote on the nomination as early as Dec. 7.

In their defense of Curry, the prison employees said he has made replacing tired equipment and recruiting staff a priority. They praised his weekly prisonwide e-mails that tell staff what he's doing to improve working conditions. And they say they appreciate his willingness to resist lawmakers' efforts to cut his budget.

"He's the first commissioner in my 15 years that went to the Legislature and said, 'This is what I need and why I need it,'" said Lt. Paul Cascio, an officer at the women's prison in Goffstown. He said he recently gave executive councilors a petition in support of Curry that had 200 employees' signatures. He said another petition is circulating with as many signatures.

Closely tied to employees' support for Curry was their criticism of the state employees union, which has filed a record-number of labor complaints against Curry. Many speculated that the union, which is led by a former corrections officer, had pressured Lynch to find a new commissioner.

"The union looks at Mr. Curry as (former governor Craig) Benson's appointment," said John Williams, a 16-year veteran of corrections who works in the Berlin prison. "And I think Mr. Lynch looks at it like (replacing Curry) is payback for the union helping get him elected."

Pamela Walsh, Lynch's spokeswoman, said yesterday that the union had not influenced the governor's nomination. "The governor did not clear any candidate with the union," she said. "They found out when everyone found out who he was going to nominate."

She said the governor would prefer if people would evaluate Wrenn for his abilities and not make the selection a contest. "Commissioner Curry's term is up," she said. "The governor wants someone who can move the department beyond labor management conflicts. Chief Wrenn has a proven record of management capabilities. And he knows how to work with the Legislature."

Curry meets those qualifications, too, according to the employees who have been calling the Monitor, Union Leader and executive councilors.

"He takes the time to go around and talks to the officers," said Sgt. Tricia Thompson, a recruiter for the men's prison in Concord. "We needed more vehicles. We needed more radios and more officers. He's hearing the cry from the staff that we need more."

Rick Lagace has been with corrections for 11 years and currently manages the warehouse for the Berlin prison. He appreciates the stability Curry has brought to the job. Since 1993, no commissioner has held the job for more than four years, and Curry is the fifth person to hold the job in about six years. He's been on the job only 16 months, but Lagace said the weekly e-mails he sends to employees each Friday are reassuring.

"He tells us where he's been and what he's been doing," Lagace said. "He tells us his goals and plans for the department. He tells us what cuts might be coming and what we can do now to prevent them."

Cpl. Erika Cunningham of the women's prison in Goffstown has been with the department more than nine years. She said Curry is the first commissioner to consolidate the policies officers follow in a way that's clear. "Now we don't have five things telling you how to do something," she said.

He's also persuaded lawmakers to let him hold onto vacant positions, which many said other commissioners would give up to save money. In addition, he's put a recruiter in each prison to fill those vacancies as quickly as possible. "We are happy with what we have, and we want him to stay," Cunningham said.

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