Welcome to Weekly Connections. Here is your summary of key updates from the justice industry for the week of June 30th.
- Starting with project updates, the Orange County, California, Youth Transition Center is ahead of schedule. The project team, including Lionakis, Vanir, DLR Group, and Balfour Beatty, recently marked the demolition of the final building in phase one.
- In Wisconsin, juvenile justice projects in Milwaukee County are moving forward, with a new $30 million youth facility and the replacement for the Lincoln Hills and Copper Lake schools both scheduled to open in 2026.
- The Arkansas State Corrections Board has authorized $50,000 to drill and test new wells at the site of the proposed state prison to ensure an adequate water supply for construction and future operations.
- Moving to legislation and funding, the San Diego Board of Supervisors has approved an $8.63 billion budget. This includes $29 million for upgrades to the Sheriff's Office jails, such as new alarm and security systems.
- A new law in Louisiana now allows law enforcement to take down drones that pose a threat. The law gives agencies the ability to use measures like jamming, hacking, or physical capture.
- In Michigan, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed a bill officially transferring ownership of the Detroit Detention Center from the state's Department of Corrections to the City of Detroit.
- In people news, DLR Group has welcomed Jim Miller as a Principal in its Justice and Civic Group, based in Phoenix.
- Josh Colter has been confirmed as the warden of the Jess Dunn Correctional Center in Taft, Oklahoma.
- Corrections Technology Group has brought on Chris Nieber as a new project engineer.
- New York City is currently recruiting for an Executive Director to lead its new borough-based jail system, which will replace Rikers Island.
- A new training opportunity is available from the National Institute of Corrections and Justice System Partners: a nine-month "Community Supervision Leadership Learning Lab."
- Regarding construction reports, several RFPs with upcoming deadlines are available:
- Maricopa County, AZ: Seeking architectural services for the Southwest Regional Justice Center expansion.
- Suwanee, GA: Seeking design and construction administration services for a new police headquarters.
- Eagle County, CO: Seeking architectural design for the Eagle County Justice Center expansion.
- Catoosa County, GA: Seeking a general contractor for the Catoosa County Jail expansion.
- And for events, the Correctional Technology Association's annual technology summit is currently taking place in Orlando, Florida. Looking ahead, the Correctional Leaders Association's Western Region meeting will kick off in Napa, California, from July 7th to July 10th.
For more details or to access the links mentioned: correctionalnews.com/podcast
