Transitional Housing, TWC, Parole, and Administrative Home Confinement in New Hampshire: What Families Should Know
Reentry in New Hampshire often starts before your loved one comes home. Here's how the state handles transitional housing, the Transitional Work Center, parole, and administrative home confinement—and who to contact at each stage.
New Hampshire's Division of Rehabilitative Services begins working on community reentry while someone is still incarcerated. That means education, job training, skills development, and personal growth opportunities - all designed to build healthier routines and better decision-making well before release day.
The Transitional Work Center (TWC) runs through the Division of Rehabilitative Services. If you hear "TWC" mentioned in conversations with your loved one or their case manager, it's part of the Division's reentry programming.
That same Division also oversees three Transitional Housing Units (THUs) at New Hampshire State Prison: Shea Farm, Calumet, and North End. These units are part of the system’s structured “step toward the community” options, not just a change of housing.
At the TWC, the focus is hands-on: supervised educational training (including building trades), work opportunities, and job-shadowing. In the THUs, inmates work in the community as part of preparing for daily life after prison. For families, the takeaway is simple - these placements rebuild real-world habits. Showing up on time. Following rules. Handling responsibilities in a community setting, all while still under supervision.
Note: TWC and THU activities help people practice community life and daily work routines before full release.
TWC and THU placements typically happen in the last two years of incarceration. The goal is preparation - supervised exposure to community expectations, work, and job training while structure and oversight are still in place. Think of this phase as a bridge between "inside" and "home," built around job skills and day-to-day stability.
Once someone is placed on parole, supervision shifts to the Division of Field Services. This same division handles probation and administrative home confinement (AHC), so you may hear their name come up across different types of community supervision.
Administrative Home Confinement (AHC) is a form of release where approved inmates live at home under specific conditions. It's still supervision - just carried out at a residence rather than a facility.
- ✓ Expect AHC supervision through Field Services
- ✓ Be ready for electronic monitoring as part of checking location
- ✓ Plan for home visits as part of ongoing supervision
- Ask about timing and placement options - Have your loved one (or you, if you’re allowed) ask their case manager about eligibility and timing for the Transitional Work Center (TWC), a Transitional Housing Unit (THU), parole, or Administrative Home Confinement (AHC).
- Confirm who will supervise in the community - Once parole or AHC is in play, get clear on the right Field Services point of contact, since Field Services supervises people on probation, parole, and AHC.
- Get ahead of financial obligations - Field Services is responsible for collecting court-ordered fines, fees, and restitution. Ask early what’s owed, how payments are handled, and who to contact with questions.
- ✓ Ask what kind of work, training, or job-shadowing your loved one will be doing through TWC, and what support they’ll need from you to stay steady
- ✓ If they’re in a THU, ask what “working in the community” will look like and what expectations come with it
- ✓ If AHC is being considered, make sure you understand the supervision setup, including electronic monitoring and home visits
Reminder: Field Services collects court-ordered fines, fees, and restitution. If money will be tight, confirm the balance and the right contact person as early as possible.
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