Welcome to Weekly Connections! Here is your summary of key updates from the justice industry for the week of Jan. 26.

Let's get started with project updates:

1. The Kalamazoo County Board of Commissioners in Michigan recently proposed a new facilities master plan, including a $150 million upgrade of the county's jail and sheriff's office.
2. Construction of a new $85 million courthouse expansion in Morris County, N.J., is underway and is expected to take 24 months to complete.
3. A new $21 million jail is nearing completion in Evangeline Parish, La., with an official ribbon cutting planned for the spring.
4. In Island County, Wash., commissioners are gathering public input on plans for a new county jail, with three options ranging in cost from $88.8 million to $100.7 million.

Moving on to legislation and funding:

1. Funding to rebuild or renovate the Hutchinson Correctional Facility in Kansas has been left out of the latest budget proposed by Gov. Laura Kelly.
2. Colorado's Joint Budget Committee rejected a request from the Colorado Department of Corrections for an additional $2.4 million in funding to add 788 prison beds.
3. Commissioners in Stevens County, Wash., are scaling back on plans to build a new jail and courtroom facility, saying the project is too costly to proceed.

Next In People news:

1. Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger has appointed Joseph Walters to serve as director of the Virginia Department of Corrections.
2. CGL Companies announced that Diane Bruining has returned to the company as Vice President, Business Development.

And now for construction reports:

1. Orange County, Calif., is seeking Progressive Design-Build services for Phase two of its Juvenile Rehabilitation Campus Redevelopment project, with bids due Feb. 25.
2. Hood County, Texas has issued an RFQ for a construction management and owner's agent for a $24 million jail expansion project, with bids due Feb. 9.
3. The South Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice has issued an RFP for security renovations to two evaluation and development center facilities, with bids due Feb. 12.

And wrapping up this week with events:

1. The American Correctional Association's Winter Conference and the Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators Winter Meeting will take place Feb. 5–8 in Long Beach, Calif.

For more details or to access the links mentioned, check out our podcast show notes at correctionalnews.com/podcast.