FRANKLIN FURNACE — A brainstorming session following Thursday’s tour of the Ohio River Valley Juvenile Correctional Facility brought out a variety of options to find a use of the closed jail.

Last month state corrections officials invited officials from Lawrence, Scioto, Adams, Pike and Jackson county to tour the facility on Thursday. Pike and Adams did not send representatives to the event.

Lawrence County officials are considering the juvenile facility as a possible solution to the overcrowding at the county jail, including turning it into a regional jail.

“I am very impressed with the facility and anxious to see any final proposal,” Lawrence County Commissioner Les Boggs said. “Bill Pratt, Freddie Hayes and myself, if we have some proposal, we will take it to Pike and Adams and meet with those folks. We are in desperate need in our county for anything that would alleviate at this point.”

Bob Vinson is the owner of Spectrum, a Lawrence County-based drug and alcohol treatment center that provides immediate treatment and then transitional housing for his clients from six months to a year.

“I could put transitional people (here),” he told the group. “I could use it today.”

State Rep Terry Johnson, and State Rep. Ryan Smith, told the group that they would act as a conduit from them to the Ohio Department of Youth Services to convey their ideas and suggestions for use of the facility.

A meeting with those involved would be set up in another month.