Peterborough resident Nicole Plante is the new warden of the New Hampshire State Prison for Women. She was appointed by the Governor to take the place of Joanne Fortier, who retired.
As warden, she oversees all security staff, as well as programming that goes on in the building, but she said her day to day operations haven’t changed too much, having already been serving as chief of security as a major. Her first day as warden was May 22.
“I love what I do. I’ve done this for close to 20 years, it’s what I know. It’s rewarding to insure that things are happening the right way,” she said, insuring the safety of residents and staff every day. “It’s still a prison, but it’s a great environment to be in,” she said, largely owing it to the staff and the environment they bring, emphasizing de-escalation and patience, she said.
“Punishment is not our job,” she said. “Courts sentence them. We’re here to give them the opportunity to change their ways and get the programming they need,” such as substance use disorder and mental health treatment, she said. She’s working to introduce trainings on trauma to staff, so they can better understand what could be triggering to inmates, many who come in with traumatic events in their past.
Plante has been working in the prison system since 2000. She was originally assigned to the women’s prison after training, but also worked at the men’s facility, then a halfway house, as she rose through the ranks from officer to sergeant, captain, and major at the women’s prison. The other facilities afforded Plante a perspective on an inmate’s experience from start to finish, and she said she came away with a better sense of what they need to prepare for life after prison.
As warden, Plante plans to make improvements on the prison’s programming so residents have more opportunities to learn occupational skills that can help them to find better jobs on the outside. Plante is looking into bringing in a cosmetology teacher, as well as other opportunities for skilled professional training through community colleges. More incarcerated men have skilled backgrounds than women, she said, who lacked the opportunity to learn some carpentry or automotive work. Currently, inmates in the women’s prison can earn their GED or high school diploma through a computer course or take apprenticeship classes in the canteen area of the prison. They can also apprentice to transcribe books to Braille, she said.
The COVID-19 pandemic hasn’t changed much inside the facility due to the success of their prevention program, she said. They tried to move along anyone eligible for release on at-home confinement or parole, she said, and as of last Tuesday, there were just 155 inmates in the facility which can hold 224. “Open beds is always nice,” she said, and it improves morale across the board when inmates are more relaxed.
Plante is a native to the state and moved to Peterborough six or seven years ago. It’s a long commute to Concord, but it’s worth it to live in town, she said. “It’s a nice quiet area,” she said, “the people are great.”