A Death at Cooke County Jail is Mentioned in a 6/15/22 Jail Inspection Report

Rule § 275.1 about Regular Observation by Jailers was detailed in part one of this series in connection with Denton County Jail. A June 15, 2022, inspection report for Cooke County Jail in Gainesville, TX 76240, cites the same standard. The death of an inmate is also referenced in the report for the Gainesville jail. The notes made by the inspector for the Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) convey the following information:

• During a review of a video that was provided after the death of an inmate, it was discovered that observation rounds were not conducted in accordance with minimum jail requirements.

Cooke County Jail Inmate Kevin Patrick Cantwell Dies at Age 57 on 5/1/22

Although the jail inspection report referenced above does not name the inmate who died in Cooke County Jail, there is information about the custodial death of an inmate who is likely being referred to in the report. Fifty-seven-year-old Kevin Patrick Cantwell entered the jail on April 9, 2022. He died in the jail’s custody on May 1, 2022.

When Mr. Cantwell was being booked into the jail, the intake jailer made note that he both appeared intoxicated by either drugs or alcohol and that he made suicidal statements.

Learn more in Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 of this series. In the next installment, learn more about the custodial death of Mr. Cantwell and how the death may have related to timely face-to-face observations made by jailers.

This website seeks to provide information of potential benefit to county and city jails in Texas. Suggesting that misdeeds have taken place on the part of people or institutions is never an intention on this site.

–Guest Contributor