Welcome to Weekly Connections! Here is your summary of key updates from the justice industry for the week of Nov. 17.

Let's get into it with project updates:

• A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held last week at the new $333 million Osvaldo N. Soto Miami-Dade Justice Center in downtown Miami.
• The Alabama Department of Corrections announced that the opening of its new $1 billion Gov. Kay Ivey Prison Complex in Elmore County will be delayed six months to October of 2026.
• Construction is wrapping up on the Wayne County, Ohio, Jail Project, which will more than double its capacity to 200 beds and is expected to open early next year.
• The Brevard County Sheriff's Office in Florida celebrated the groundbreaking of the new $20 million Regional Law Enforcement Training Center in Viera.

Moving on to legislation and funding:

• A new Louisville Metro Department of Corrections report recommends building a new jail, with cost estimates ranging from $389 million to $530 million.
• A $75 million bond to build a new jail in Nacogdoches County, Texas, has been approved by voters.
• North Carolina officials announced a $9.5 million pilot program to provide intensive support to people with serious mental illnesses as they re-enter the community.
• Beginning next year, Knox County, Maine, will transfer its long-term incarcerated population from the Knox County Jail to the Two Bridges Regional Jail.
• Officials in Clark County, Ohio, will explore other options to build a new county jail after a proposed sales tax measure was rejected by voters.

Next in people news:

• Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey has appointed Gina Kwon as Secretary of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Security.

Moving along to construction reports:

• Commissioners in Grays Harbor County, Wash., have issued an RFQ for Architectural and Design firms for a new county criminal justice complex, with submittals due Dec. 1.
• Champaign County, Ill., has issued an RFP for architecture and engineering firms to provide condition assessments on various county facilities, with proposals due Dec. 5.
• The Renaissance Juvenile Detention District of Rapides Parish in Louisiana is seeking a CMAR for the new $39 million Central Louisiana Juvenile Detention District center, with submittals due Dec. 12.

And closing it off with events:

• The Correctional Leaders Association will host its annual All Directors Symposium from Dec. 8-11 in Scottsdale, Ariz.

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