State prison asks for help from National Guard

The New Hampshire National Guard is deploying to the state prison for men in Concord to help alleviate staff shortages.

For the next three months, 18 soldiers and airmen will be assigned to the prison. The Department of Corrections said they won’t supervise residents; instead, they’ll work in control rooms.

“Like missions supported by the National Guard in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic response, soldiers and airmen will work in security control room posts which allows the Department’s sworn and certified corrections officers to work posts that directly supervise and interact with the residents,” the agency said in a press release. “Security control room posts manage the movements within the unit including remotely opening and securing doors.”

The Department of Corrections said it requested the support “following months of increased staffing vacancies.” The agency said 51% of entry-level corrections officer positions are currently unfilled, up from 29% in March 2020.

The agency said it’s working to fill those vacancies, intensifying its recruitment efforts and offering $10,000 signing bonuses for new hires.