New Hampshire Corrections Officials Hold Off-Site Meetings About Edmark Nomination

By DAMIEN FISHER, InDepthNH

CONCORD, NH — Michelle Edmark’s troubled nomination to be an assistant commissioner at the Department of Corrections is the subject of confidential meetings held with Commissioner William Hart and Assistant Commissioner Jessica Kuron.

Edmark is currently the warden at the Men’s Prison in Concord and would be the DOC’s first in the new position as second assistant commissioner. Department leadership is pushing a reorganization at the top after last year’s resignation of Commissioner Helen Hanks, and Hart’s appointment last year. The changes include the addition of a second assistant commissioner’s position.

DOC leadership did not comment on the record when contacted.

The meetings, held Thursday afternoon at the Orr & Reno offices in Concord, were announced to DOC staff last week as an “opportunity for employees to speak confidentially with [Hart] and [Kuron] regarding the nomination of Michelle Edmark for the new Assistant Commissioner position.”

Edmark’s nomination was scheduled to go before the Executive Council last week, but it was pulled off the schedule at the last minute. Edmark’s elevation to assistant commissioner is already opposed by some on the Council due to her perceived closeness to the Hanks regime.

Edmark’s nomination is still supported by Hart and Kuron, who see her as an experienced and talented administrator. The new leaders at DOC are aware that many on staff lost trust in Hanks, and by extension, Edmark. The off-site meetings are seen as a way to help rebuild trust between staff and leaders.

But DOC insiders told InDepthNH.org they are wary of the meetings, fearing potential retaliation if they speak their minds.

Even if Edmark had support from 100 percent of the staff, some in Concord aren’t convinced. Executive Counselor Janet Stevens (R-District 3) said last week she was a “no” vote for Edmark.

“I appreciated the opportunity to speak with Warden Edmark and recognize her long-standing commitment to the Department of Corrections. I also appreciate the work and leadership of Commissioner Hart and Jessica Kuron in addressing the ongoing challenges at the NH DOC. However, my primary responsibility is to ensure the safety and well-being of corrections officers, inmates, the taxpayers of New Hampshire and minimize risk exposure to the State. At this time, I cannot support this nomination.”

Stevens cites the lawsuits brought by DOC staff in which Edmark is a named defendant; the state lawsuit brought by former Corrections Officer Claudia Cass and the federal lawsuit brought by former Corrections Officer Phillip Hill.

Cass’s lawsuit is heading to trial in the Merrimack Superior Court. She was fired by Edmark in 2023 after alerting her supervisors about the dangerously low staffing levels inside the Concord prison.

Hill’s lawsuit claims he was punished by Edmark for seeking accommodations for a PTSD diagnosis, and then threatened after he filed a Human Rights complaint about his treatment. That lawsuit ended in a settlement in April with the DOC paying Hill $350,000, according to Stevens.

“While I respect Warden Edmark's years of service and acknowledge her professional accomplishments, the combination of ongoing litigation, recent court rulings, staffing concerns, and potential liability to the State leads me to conclude that I cannot support the nomination at this time," Stevens said.

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