I recently attended a FEMA public information officer training course held in Pembroke. One of the speakers was Paul Raymond Jr., assistant commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Corrections. Raymond spoke about NHDOC’s commitment to being a trauma-informed organization. One way it does this, he shared, is by referring to incarcerated people in New Hampshire’s prisons as residents rather than inmates. Not only is this accurate, as these individuals reside in the prisons, it goes a long way to affirm that they are human beings, regardless of what they’ve done. This made me proud that our state is using evidence-based tactics to reduce recidivism and is committed to the goal of the corrections system: to correct the behaviors that put residents in prison in the first place and give them the best chance to reintegrate successfully into society. I was surprised and disappointed reading in the Monitor that Gov. Ayotte — a former law enforcement official — is pushing DOC to reverse this policy. Sadly, I believe she knows better and is bending the knee to some who got her elected, who refuse to educate themselves and understand nuanced concepts. I also believe that residents of this state have the right to know who the seven other law enforcement officials who signed this letter are. If, for instance, my police chief was among them, I would want to know.
Cassidy Smith
Concord