Welcome to Weekly Connections! Here is your summary of key updates from the justice industry for the week of July 14th.

For our project updates:

• In Wayne County, North Carolina, construction firm T.A. Loving Company has completed the new 109,500-square-foot Wayne County Replacement Jail. The Moseley-designed facility adds 220 beds and modernizes operations.
• In Omaha, Nebraska, Douglas County Corrections has placed the final beam on its new 35,000-square-foot mental health facility. The 81-bed, therapy-focused center is expected to be complete by the end of 2026.
• In Nelson County, Virginia, officials are moving forward with a scaled-back jail expansion. The revised plan will double the facility's size to 32,000 square feet and add 65 beds.
• In Butler, Alabama, Choctaw County officially broke ground on a new jail to replace its previous structure. The project will take an estimated 15 months to complete.
• In Sebring, Florida, construction has begun on a $17 million expansion of the Highlands County Jail. The project, built by Ajax Building Company, will add a 96-bed women's housing unit, with completion expected by summer 2026.
• In Charlottesville, Virginia, the $51 million Regional Jail renovation is officially moving forward. The project will modernize infrastructure, add mental health beds, and expand office space over the next 2.5 years.

In company news:

• Out of Baldwin, Georgia, Vital-Space has officially opened its new office building on the Steel Cell campus. CEO Mike Smith stated the vision is to "positively impact 5,000 lives over the next five years."

In legislation and funding news:

• Out of Wisconsin, the Department of Corrections is holding a public hearing on implementing Act 196, a law aimed at reducing incarceration by offering community-based sanctions for supervision violations.
• In Pearl River County, Mississippi, county supervisors are considering technology upgrades from Smart Communications, including a secure tablet system with facial recognition and digital mail for inmates.
• In Bloomington, Indiana, a new $225 million criminal justice complex may face a two-year delay unless state lawmakers pass a bill allowing bond sales, which are currently restricted by Senate Bill 1.
• In Tennessee, Representative Ron Gant has helped secure $185 million to replace the John S. Wilder Youth Development Center with two new trauma-informed facilities, with construction slated for 2027.

In People News:

• Out of Houston, Texas, the Prison Entrepreneurship Program (PEP) has named Chief Development Officer Chris Volka as acting CEO.
• In Arizona, Stacey Faulkner has been named Chief of Workforce Development and CEO of Arizona Correctional Industries (ACI).
• In Chicago, congratulations to Malicia Vitovich on her promotion to Vice President of New Business Development at Norix Furniture.
• In Montgomery, Alabama, Governor Kay Ivey has appointed Hal Nash, Chief Corrections Deputy of the Jackson County Sheriff's Office, as Chair of the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles.

Moving over to construction reports:

• In Ewing, New Jersey, bids are being accepted for the new Juvenile Justice Secure Facility. Valued at over $54 million, bids are due September 30, 2025, with a mandatory pre-bid meeting on August 12th.
• In Wichita, Kansas, Sedgwick County is seeking A&E design proposals to replace the building automation system at its adult detention facility, a $54 million project. Proposals are due July 22nd.
• In Caldwell, Idaho, Canyon County is requesting qualifications from CMGC firms for the $10 million Pond Lane Detention Facility. Qualifications are due August 4th.
• In North Dakota, the legislature has approved over $37 million to add as many as 300 additional beds to its prison system, including building temporary shelters and a new re-entry facility.
• Looking ahead in Green County, Wisconsin, the board has approved an $86.1 million budget for a new jail and law enforcement center. Bidding is set for early 2026.

Wrapping it up with event reminders:

• Registration is open for ICPA's 27th annual conference in Istanbul, Turkey, from October 26th-31st. Early bird rates are available through August 15th.
• NCCHC's Correctional Mental Health Conference takes place in San Francisco this week from July 19th-21st.
• NOBLE's annual training conference is scheduled for August 8th-12th in Hollywood, Florida.
• A big event lineup is happening in Denver this summer, including the CLA conference (Aug 21-23), ACA (Aug 21-26), and the CJJA summer meeting (Aug 22-24).

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