Lummi Nation to detain inmates released by Chehalis jail to prevent coronavirus spread
UPDATE APRIL 10: The Lummi Nation newspaper, Squol Quol, reported Friday, April 10, that “after discussion between the tribe and the Chehalis Correctional Facility it was determined that the facility would retain all of the inmates currently housed there.” However, it will not take additional inmates, the newspaper reported.
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Several inmates currently housed in the Chehalis Tribal Jail could soon be released back into the custody of the Lummi Nation, which will activate a temporary detainment facility, the nation announced late Wednesday, April 8..
The move, according to a release posted to Facebook, is an effort by the Chehalis Tribal Jail to manage the spread of COVID-19.
“Our highest priority is the health and safety of the Lummi Nation and all our members,” Lummi Nation Chairman Lawrence Solomon said in the release.
Any inmates who are released and transferred to Lummi would be non-violent offenders who still have time on their sentences issued by Lummi Tribal Courts, according to the release. They would require nothing more than minimum security detainment.
Though there is currently not a date they would be released, the release stated the Lummi Nation will set up a temporary detainment center to house and care for those individuals while still ensuring the safety of the community.
The Lummi Indian Business Council, the Lummi Nation Police Department and Probation Department are all involved in the planning for the temporary facility, according to the release.
“We are preparing for the worst and hoping for the best,” Lummi Police Chief Bob Wilson said in the release. “We are doing everything we can to ensure the safety of all our people, whilst responding to the sudden announcement from Department of Justice and (the) Chehalis correction facility to potentially release inmates soon.”
The Lummi Public Health Department’s last reported positive test for COVID-19 was April 4 — the 19th confirmed case of coronavirus among the Lummi community. The department also previously reported nine community members who tested positive have since recovered.
The Bellingham Herald has reached out to the Lummi Nation and Lummi Police for further information, including how many inmates are expected to be released, where the detainment facility will be, how many people it could hold, who is responsible for running the facility and how it will follow CDC guidelines on preventing the spread of coronavirus.
This story will be updated.
This story was originally published April 9, 2020 at 12:17 PM.
