Weekly Connections February 2nd, 2026

Welcome to Weekly Connections! Here is your summary of key updates from the justice industry for the week of Feb. 2.Let's get started with project updates:A change order for a geothermal system has pushed the price tag for the new Cuyahoga County, Ohio jail project to $962 million. Construction is expected to begin this spring.Construction is progressing on the new Warrick County, Ind., Sheriff's Office and Security Center project, with completion and opening slated for the spring.A $21 million renovation project at the Benton County Juvenile Justice Center in Washington state is nearing completion.A ribbon cutting ceremony was held for the recently completed $70 million expansion at the Baldwin County Sheriff's Corrections Center in Alabama.Next in Legislation and Funding:Colorado lawmakers approved $2.4 million in mid-year funding for 788 additional state prison beds after initially blocking the request.Commissioners in Comal County, Texas are considering expansion plans for its jail, with costs ranging from $75 million to $174 million.Voters in Clinton County, Mo., will weigh in on a proposal to build a new detention center and renovate the county's courtrooms, which will appear on the April ballot.Moving on to People News:A federal judge has appointed Correctional News Editorial Advisory Board member Nicholas Deml to assume control over major decisions at the Rikers Island jail complex.New York Mayor Zoran Mamdani has appointed Stanley Richards as Commissioner of the New York City Department of Correction.Bicycle Health has announced that Rick Dean has joined the company as its new Chief Executive Officer.Next in Construction Reports:Liberty County, Texas is seeking a CMAR to build a new 600-bed county jail with a $100 million budget, with bids due Feb. 20.Santa Barbara County, Calif., is seeking bids from contractors to remodel three housing units at the Santa Maria Juvenile Justice Center, with bids due Feb. 17.Augusta-Richmond County, Ga., has issued an RFP for CMAR services for the county's Juvenile Justice Center project, with bids due Feb. 24.And wrapping it up with events:The American Correctional Association's Winter Conference and the Council of Juvenile Justice Administrators Winter Meeting will take place in Long Beach, Calif., from Feb. 5–8.Also, a correction was issued for the Jan. 19 episode: J.E. Dunn is the builder on the Pueblo County, Colo., jail project, not Layton Construction.For more details or to access the links mentioned, check out our podcast show notes at correctionalnews.com/podcast.