Welcome to Weekly Connections, brought to you by NVT Phybridge! Here is your summary of key updates from the justice industry for the week of Oct. 6.

Starting with project updates:

• A ribbon cutting will be held this week at the new $42 million Clay County Jail and Law Enforcement center in Vermillion, S. D. The project was designed by JLG Architects and built by Beckenhauer Construction.
• An open house will be held this week at the recently completed Cape Girardeau County, Mo., jail addition and renovated 1908 courthouse. The project was designed by Treanor with Penzel Construction Co. as the contractor.
• Officials in Grayson County, Texas provided an update on its ongoing $34 million jail expansion project, which is expected to take four years to complete.
• Commissioners in Walsh County, N.D., have selected Elevatus Architecture to design a new county jail, expanding its capacity from 16 to 46 inmates.

Moving over to legislation and funding:

• Last week, the Federal Communications Committee voted to advance a rulemaking that would allow local and state correctional facilities to jam signals from contraband cellphones.
• Officials in Spokane County, Wash., have convened a task force to consider a new tax proposal to fund the construction of a new jail after a previous bond was rejected by voters.
• Maryland Governor Wes Moore announced that the state will close the Maryland Correctional Institution at Jessup by June 2026, saving around $21 million in annual operating costs.

Moving over to People News:

• Georgia Department of Corrections Commissioner Tyrone Oliver announced the promotion of David Jones to Director of Engineering and Construction Services.
• Correctional healthcare provider Armor Health recently appointed JC Rogers as its new Vice President of Business Development.

Now diving into construction reports:

• Faulkner County in Arkansas is seeking trade contractors for the construction of a new jail pod, with bids due Oct. 21.
• Gaston County, N.C., has issued an RFQ for architectural firms to perform a condition needs assessment at the Gaston County Jail, with bids due Oct. 23.
• Gwinnett County, Ga., is seeking proposals for a construction manager at risk for the construction of a new county police headquarters, with bids due Oct. 23.
• Aroostook County in Maine has issued an RFP to A&E firms for the design and construction of a new county correctional facility, with bids due by Nov. 3.

Closing it out with events for the week:

• The Correctional Leaders Association's Midwest Regional Meeting in Omaha, Neb., kicked off Monday and will run through Thursday, Oct. 9.
• Later this month, the International Corrections and Prisons Association will hold its annual conference from Oct. 26–31 in Istanbul, Turkey.
• Correctional administrators are set to attend Chicago Beyond's 2025 National Justice Convening from Oct. 29–30.
• The 2026 Correctional News Media Kit is now available for viewing.

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