Joint Custody: Western Virginia Agencies Join Forces to Boost Capacity, Convenience and Efficiency with $122 Million Roanoke Regional JailrnBy Lisa Kopochinski | Correctional News Magazine rnrnSituated on a 42-acre site in Salem, Va., the new $122 million Western Virginia Regional Jail, which opened in April, stands as a concrete testament to interjurisdictional communication, cooperation, and coordination in tackling the pressures, challenges and constraints facing corrections agencies and elected officials at the local level.rnrnThe 605-bed facility, which was developed to provide updated facilities, deliver operational efficiencies and address jail overcrowding and inmate population projections, represents the raison d’etre of the Western Virginia Regional Jail Authority. The counties of Franklin, Montgomery and Roanoke and the City of Salem established the WVRJ to manage planning, financing and construction of the new jail under a 2005 regional partnership agreement.rnThe procurement of project design and construction was conducted under Virginias Public-Private Education and Infrastructure Act partnership, which is designed to bring private sector expertise to bear on public projects, encourage innovative approaches to construction and financing, and ultimately save time and money through public-private partnership.rnrn”PPEA allows for faster procurement than afforded under the old design-bid-build model