The Texas Commission on Jail Standards (TCJS) now lists Cooke County Jail in Texas as a Non-Compliant Jail on the TCJS website. Records show that a special jail inspection report issued on April 12, 2023, cited Cooke County Jail for noncompliance. TCJS inspectors found that the Gainesville, Texas, jail violated 2 minimum jail standards.

The address of Cooke County Jail is 300 Co Rd 451, Gainesville, TX 76240. Details on alleged noncompliance follow.

RULE §273.6(3), in the chapter on Health Services, is about Restraints. A documented observation of the inmate shall be conducted every 15 minutes, at a minimum. The observations should include an assessment of the security of the restraints and the circulation to the extremities.

• A review of the observation logs revealed that the observation checks of inmates restrained with the restraint chair were not conducted according to the requirements. On multiple occasions, they occurred from 1 to 5 minutes over the required 15-minute time frame.

RULE §275.2 is in the chapter on Supervision of Inmates. Section 2 addresses Jailer’s Training and Licensing. Personnel employed or appointed as jailers or personnel appointed, employed, or assigned to directly supervise jailers at facilities operated under vendor contract with a county or city shall be licensed as per the requirements of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement under the provisions of Part 7 of this title.

• During the review of staff licensing, it was determined that the staff members do not possess a valid TCOLE Jailers License. The identified staff member has actively worked within the facility after employment in March 2023.

In May 2021 and June 2022, Cooke County was found non-compliant with minimum jail standards. The June 15, 2022, special jail inspection report showed that a video was reviewed after a custodial death, and it was discovered that observation rounds were not conducted in accordance with minimum jail standards.