Welcome to Weekly Connections! Here is your summary of key updates from the justice industry for the week of July 28th.

We'll start with project updates:

• In North Carolina, Henderson County's jail and courthouse expansion now exceeds $173 million, which is $15 million over the original estimate. The jail's $80.6 million guaranteed price must be approved by August 4th.
• In Washington, the Whatcom County Justice Center could now cost up to $174 million, rising from the original $150 million estimate. Officials are still deciding on a bed count, with a design-builder announcement expected in August.
• In Illinois, Warren County's $23 million jail and sheriff's office project is back in motion. The 60-bed facility, funded by a sales tax referendum, is expected to begin construction in spring 2026.

Moving over to legislation and funding:

• California's Department of Healthcare Services has launched the final round of its Behavioral Health Continuum Infrastructure Program, making over $800 million in Prop 1 bond funding available. Full applications are due October 28, 2025.
• Medicaid reentry reform is gaining bipartisan traction, but advocates warn that looming federal cuts and work requirements could jeopardize progress.
• Montana's Flathead County is asking voters to approve a $105 million bond on November 4th to build a new jail to address severe overcrowding and outdated systems.

Moving over to people announcements:

• After four years serving as Commissioner of Corrections for the state of Vermont, Nick Deml will step down from his role on August 15th. Former Burlington Police Chief John Murad will serve as interim commissioner.
• Congratulations to Thomas Pilson, who has joined GFT after 29 years in justice facility operations and security design.
• Congratulations to Felice Upton on the launch of Just Us Felice Upton Consulting, a new venture focused on human-centered solutions in juvenile justice.
• Falcon Technologies has welcomed Dr. Angela Phillips as Senior Product Manager to lead the development of its predictive framework tools for corrections.

Moving over to construction reports:

• In Meeker, Colorado, the town is requesting bids for a new security camera system, with proposals due August 21st.
• Mesa County, Colorado is soliciting CMAR services for the $90 million Justice Center North addition. Proposals are due August 13th.
• In Suwanee, Georgia, CMAR proposals are open for its new $15.5 million police headquarters, with submissions due August 18th.
• In Florida, Miami-Dade County is accepting proposals for architectural services for its planned county jail site, with final proposals due August 27th.

And in events for the week:

• In New York, New York City's Department of Design and Construction will host its first community design workshop for the Manhattan Borough-based jail facility on July 31st from 6 to 8 p.m.

And finishing it off this week with product announcements and innovations:

• Willo Products has introduced the Wedge Slim, a new locking system tailored for new jail and prison builds, which will be on display at ACA's Congress of Corrections in August.
• Starting August 1st, all phone calls from New York state prisons, whether via tablet or traditional phone, will be free.

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