CHESHIRE — Safety was the number one issue brought up Tuesday night during a meeting concerning the Gallia County Sheriff’s Office’s plan to put a work release center in the former Guiding Hand School building next to Gallco Industries in Cheshire.

Concerned parent Becky Stump said, based on her research, a work release program appears to be a positive move for the county.

“The statistics from what I’ve seen looks very good. It puts people back in the workforce, it keeps jobs here, employs your deputies. I think it’s a wonderful program,” said Stump. “My concern is the safety of my daughter.”

Gallia County Sheriff Joe Browning said his department would do its best to separate the two facilities as much as space allows.

Family members still expressed concerns that the clients would be the ones to suffer and would eventually be restricted to the building. The clients currently use the gymnasium for basketball games and the track is located behind the building being looked at by the sheriff’s office.

They also asked why the sheriff’s office hasn’t considered other vacant locations, including the old Kyger Creek Middle School, the former Gallia County Children’s Home and the old River Valley High School.

Browning cited cost, structural issues and location as reasons why the Gallco location is a better choice for the program than the other locations. As far as vacant schools, he said he was unsure, at this time, what the school boards planned to do with the buildings.

Another major concern revolved around whether the decision to move forward with the program has already been made.

“It seems like the families are the last ones to have a say,” said Bart Stump.

Browning said, as far as he knows, no contract has been signed, but the county will have to move quickly in order to keep the grant money they’ve already received for the project.

Not all the family members were against the program moving forward.

“I think it’s good for the sheriff’s department,” said one parent. “I have a daughter who goes here also. I don’t see a problem with it. I think the police do very good at the job that they do. They cannot guarantee (the safety of the clients) 100 percent. Nobody can.”

Specifics were scarce during the meeting because many of the questions regarded issues that have not been decided. Gallia County DD Board Superintendent Rosalie Durbin said they went from “yes, we’re interested” to holding public meetings.

“We haven’t even discussed a startup date,” said Durbin. “I’m not saying we are going to be able to work this out. If we can and it meets everyone’s satisfaction and we feel that we can absolutely guarantee the safety of our adult clients, then we may possibly move in that direction, but always with the goal in my mind that it is temporary because our plan is to move the Gallco program also to a more central location.”

The work release center will house non-violent offenders who will be released each day to work. According to Browning, they will be monitored and will be held to strict guidelines. In addition to the possibilities of rehabilitation of first-time offenders, Browning said it will be a tremendous savings to the community.