Mary Scott NabersCorrectional facilities in many regions have been overlooked for decades, overshadowed by more pressing and immediate priorities. Most operate very inefficiently. Not only are they costly to maintain, most lack the modern technology needed to enhance security and very few provide rehabilitation and supportive services to help individuals reintegrate back into the community. Currently hundreds of correctional facilities are being planned throughout the U.S. Most will call for large construction efforts with numerous types of new technology and equipment. The examples that follow represent contracting opportunities that will be available in 2025 and 2026.
A new state-of-the-art women’s correctional facility is planned for Chesterfield Township, New Jersey. The projected cost of the project is $90 million. It is part of the state’s Department of Corrections’ efforts to replace an existing facility for women with a modern, trauma-informed institution.
This new facility will be designed to as a campus environment with space for services and programming that support rehabilitation and reentry. It will have designated spaces for education, therapy, and vocational training. Security will be enhanced with advanced surveillance systems. The location will facilitate family visitation and connections to community resources. A construction manager will be hired in 2024, and construction solicitations will be issued after that with work slated to begin sometime in 2025.
A new $500 million federal prison will be built by the Federal Bureau of Prisons in Roxana, Kentucky. It will be a medium-security facility located alongside a minimum-security Federal Prison Camp in Letcher County and will replace an old building that is no longer cost-effective to operate. When completed, the new facility will accommodate approximately 1,408 adult inmates and will meet contemporary correctional standards. It will provide space for several comprehensive rehabilitation programs to support education and vocational training. The project is still in the planning phase with a timeline for construction solicitations likely to be announced in late 2025.
The Texas Juvenile Justice Department has announced plans to move forward with construction of a new juvenile facility in Ellis County, Texas. The state legislature voted to provide $200 million for construction of the facility, which will mark the first new Texas juvenile correctional facility in 25 years. The project will deliver a 100-bed facility with a modernized space tailored for youth requiring acute mental health support and those exhibiting highly aggressive behavior. It will be outfitted with state-of-the-art security systems, education and vocational training facilities and therapeutic environments for offenders. This project is still in the planning phase, but an open bidding process for construction will follow in 2025 and work is expected to begin in 2026.
A large $825 million project by South Dakota’s Department of Corrections will deliver a new men’s correctional facility in Lincoln County. It will be built on two 160-acre parcels in rural areas of the county and when completed, the facility will accommodate up to 1,500 inmates. It will also address overcrowding and outdated infrastructure while providing rehabilitative services spaces and a safer, more efficient environment for both inmates and staff.
The Illinois Department of Corrections will replace an aging correctional center near the city of Lincoln. Plans being developed will call for a $900 million effort that includes the construction of two new correctional facilities – one for men and the other for women – each designed to provide 1,500 single-cell beds. The facilities will provide therapeutic environments, incorporating spaces for programming, medical and mental health services, dietary needs and recreational activities to support rehabilitation and reintegration into communities. A Construction Manager/ Owners Rep will be selected in 2025 to provide project oversight, and a construction launch date will be announced when the planning phase is completed.
A total redesign project for a juvenile detention facility in Louisville, Kentucky is currently being planned and it will carry a cost projection of $38.9 million. The building was closed in 2019 due to budget cuts and now the state is covering all costs related to the renovation. The renovation will be transformative, tripling the capacity of the existing building and modernizing its infrastructure. Key upgrades include expanding the facility’s capacity to accommodate 64 beds and the modernization of plumbing systems, food service areas and security electronics. A new roof will also be installed. Construction is slated for 2025, and officials hope to have the project completed by mid-2026.
Officials in Tippecanoe County, Indiana are advancing plans to construct a $15.5 million new juvenile detention facility near Lafayette. It will be designed to provide 24 single-occupancy rooms for juveniles, four secure dayrooms, program classrooms, indoor recreation areas, medical facilities, holding cells, and administrative offices. When the project is completed, county officials will be able to house youth offenders closer to their home communities and provide greater access to family support and local rehabilitation programs. Currently, juvenile detainees are transported to out-of-county locations, which poses logistical challenges for effective rehabilitation efforts. A launch date has not been announced but the project is expected to launch in the spring of 2025.
These upcoming projects are very similar to many others that will launch in the next two years. Most will be large and complex initiatives. Interested parties should develop pursuit plans early in 2025 and schedule meetings with local oversight officials before contracting solicitations are issued.
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