Are Lawrence County’s elected officials any closer to finding a solution to correct the overcrowding issue at the jail?

Maybe answers will come from the town hall meeting Thursday at Ohio University Southern. At the public forum, county commissioners from Lawrence and Scioto counties are expected, as well as Lawrence County Sheriff Jeff Lawless, state director of rehabilitation and corrections Gary Mohr, and representatives from the governor’s office. County prosecuting attorney Brigham Anderson will moderate.

The meeting starts at 10:30 a.m. and we would encourage anyone and everyone who can attend to hear what our local and state leaders have to offer as solutions.

Can the county afford to move operations to the former Ohio River Valley Juvenile Correctional Facility in Scioto County? Should inmates be transported to out-of-county facilities? Can the county sustain either one of these options past the initial implementation of a plan?

So far, citizens have gotten little in the way of a concrete plan as commissioners flip-flop on whether a move is feasible.

We hope Thursday’s forum will shed some light on this problem and provide the sheriff with what he needs to follow through with a realistic plan.