Welcome to Weekly Connections! Here is your summary of key updates from the justice industry for the week of July 21st.

We'll kick it off with project updates:

• In Stark County, Ohio, commissioners approved a $75.7 million total project cost for the county's jail renovation. K2M Architects is leading the design, with Granger-Welty as the CMAR. Groundbreaking is tentatively scheduled for August 15th.
• After a decade of planning, Lucas County, Ohio, has abandoned its effort to build a new $300 million jail, now opting for renovations to the existing facility due to financial concerns. HDR and Kleinfelder will continue to evaluate the updates.
• Cochise County, Arizona, has selected a site in Bisbee for its proposed new jail. The project remains on hold pending the outcome of a November 4th tax vote.
• The new 3,000-bed Franklin County prison in Arkansas is facing a potential roadblock over water supply. A report shows Fort Smith's water system lacks the capacity to meet the prison's 560,000-gallon daily demand without major upgrades. The Arkansas DOC and partner Vanner will meet with city officials on July 29th.
• In Tennessee, Sullivan County is addressing severe overcrowding with a new $106 million facility currently under construction. The new jail will house up to 1,100 inmates and include expanded medical and mental health services.
• Charlottesville, Virginia, City Council has approved $49 million in bond financing to renovate the Charlottesville Regional Jail. Construction is expected to begin on September 15, 2025.

Now moving over to legislation and funding news:

• In Texas, Montgomery County officials are exploring a $400 million new jail to address chronic overcrowding. One proposal includes a 2,600-bed facility with 1,400 contract beds that could generate up to $23 million annually to offset costs.
• The Bureau of Prisons has formed a specialized First Step Act Task Force to address delays in home confinement processing. Launched by Director William K. Marshall III, the team will begin meeting this month.

Moving over to hiring and people announcements:

• HDR has named Ryan Rolphs as Justice Principal in its Chicago architecture studio.
• Congratulations to Dr. Lerome Myrick, Executive Director of Juvenile Justice for Rhode Island, who is the recipient of the 52nd annual National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice (NABJ) Medgar Evers Award.

Next up, we'll cover construction reports:

• El Paso County has issued a Construction Manager at Risk request for a new $8.3 million medical examiner's office. Proposals are due September 11th, with a pre-proposal conference on August 13th.
• In Midland County, Texas, CMAR proposals are being requested for a new $24 million juvenile justice center. Submissions are due July 30th, with construction expected to begin in fall 2026.

Finishing it off with events and reminders:

• Many states, including Michigan and Virginia, have officially declared July 20th-26th as Pretrial, Probation, and Parole Supervision Week.
• The International Corrections and Prison Association (ICPA) is now accepting nominations for its 2025 Correctional Excellence Awards. Nominations must be submitted by August 15th.
• Correctional News is accepting nominations for two awards: the 30 Over 30 Years Experience Award and the Next Generation Trailblazers Award. Submissions for both are open through August 31st.

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