SouthernWorldwide.com – Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper is facing intense criticism as he campaigns for the U.S. Senate, with opponents labeling his administration’s early release of thousands of inmates during the COVID-19 pandemic a “complete failure.” This scrutiny stems from reports indicating that a significant number of these released individuals were subsequently rearrested on new charges within two years.
The controversy is unfolding amidst a closely contested Senate race between Cooper, a Democrat, and Republican Michael Whatley. The outcome of this election could significantly influence the balance of power in the Senate. Cooper’s campaign has vehemently denied the accusations, with a spokesperson characterizing the criticisms as “blatant lies from Republicans.” The campaign asserts that Cooper actively contested these releases in court and highlights that the Trump administration also released thousands of federal prisoners due to COVID-19.
A thorough review of data by Fox News Digital, sourced from the North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission, revealed a concerning statistic: over 560 inmates released under Cooper’s governorship were arrested again for new offenses within a two-year timeframe following their release.
The agreement that facilitated these releases took place over a 180-day period, from February to August 2021. It resulted in the release of approximately 3,500 inmates. Among those who benefited from this early release was Tyrell Brace. Brace was later charged with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Elante Thompson, a young father, in Charlotte. Brace’s criminal history included a prior guilty plea for assault by strangulation and assault inflicting serious injury, as well as felony larceny and breaking-and-entering convictions. Records from the North Carolina Department of Public Safety Adult Correction indicate that Brace was released months earlier than his original scheduled date. The fatal shooting occurred on January 29, 2022, shortly after Brace’s initial release date of January 15.
Another individual released under the program, Daron Owens, later received a 10-year federal prison sentence. This sentence was for possession of a firearm by a felon, stemming from a drive-by shooting that occurred months after his release and left a victim with gunshot wounds. Owens had also been released a month ahead of his scheduled date.
Roy Cooper’s opponent in the Senate race, Republican Michael Whatley, did not hold back in his criticism. He posted on X, stating, “Roy Cooper was a complete failure at keeping our communities safe.”
“Victims’ families deserve answers,” Whatley continued, posing a pointed question: “Why did Roy Cooper allow these dangerous criminals back on our streets?”
The impetus for this large-scale inmate release was a lawsuit filed in 2020 by organizations including the North Carolina NAACP and the ACLU. These groups argued that the overcrowded prison conditions during the pandemic posed an unconstitutional risk to inmates. While the plaintiffs initially sought the release of even more inmates, the state eventually reached a settlement in early 2021. The agreement stipulated a reduction in the prison population through measures such as expanded early releases, parole reviews, and other initiatives, ultimately leading to the release of around 3,500 inmates.
This mass release has drawn sharp criticism from Republicans, who have described it as one of the largest of its kind in the nation. At the time, Cooper’s administration emphasized that the releases would primarily target nonviolent offenders. However, officials later conceded that individuals convicted of violent crimes were also included in the program.
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Court documents reveal that some inmates released during this period possessed extensive felony histories. These included convictions for crimes involving assault, sexual offenses, kidnapping, and offenses against children.
The Fox News Digital data review, focusing on a sample group of 1,180 prisoners, found that 48% of them, or 566 individuals, were subsequently arrested on new charges. Of this sample group, 20% have been convicted of new offenses.
Beyond Brace and Owens, another notable release was Jimmie Speight. Speight, who had been convicted of indecent liberty with a child and failure to register as a sex offender, was released nearly nine months early. In 2023, he received a sentence of over 32 years in prison for second-degree murder.
Similarly, Kyshuan Norrell, who had been convicted of manslaughter, was also released and has since been sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder.
DJ Griffin, a spokesperson for the Whatley campaign, directly addressed Cooper regarding these releases, telling Fox News Digital, “Roy Cooper has blood on his hands.”
Griffin asserted that Cooper’s “dangerous decision to release thousands of convicted felons during COVID has resulted in the deaths of 19 North Carolinians.”
“Now, victims’ families say he is solely to blame for these deaths. All while Cooper refuses to take any responsibility for his actions,” Griffin added.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) also joined the criticism, describing the releases as “INSANE” in an X post and demanding that “Roy Cooper must answer for this.”
Bernadette Breslin, a national press secretary for the NRSC, stated in an interview with Fox News Digital that the agreement amounted to the Democrat having “aided and abetted the release of thousands of violent criminals onto North Carolina’s streets.” She further commented, “Cooper’s soft-on-crime policies are too dangerous for North Carolina families.”
In response, a spokesperson for Cooper’s campaign dismissed the criticisms, telling Fox News Digital that “these blatant lies from Republicans have been fact-checked for months and found to be false.”
The spokesperson clarified that “after Roy fought against these releases in court, North Carolina law enforcement officials and parole officers looked to similar criteria President Trump used a year prior when his administration released thousands of federal prisoners due to COVID-19.”
“Keeping the public safe is Roy Cooper’s top priority, which is why he refused to commute sentences when outside groups asked him to during the pandemic,” the spokesperson continued.
The campaign further contrasted Cooper’s record with that of his opponent, Michael Whatley. “While Roy spent his career putting rapists and violent criminals behind bars, Michael Whatley spent his appointing a convicted child sex predator who served time in prison for multiple counts of felony child sex crimes to a powerful position within the North Carolina Republican Party.”
The individual referenced is Harvey West Jr., a registered sex offender who had served prison time for child sex crimes. West later held leadership and committee roles within the North Carolina GOP during Whatley’s tenure as chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party. Whatley has stated that West “was elected on his own,” according to the Washington Examiner. Conversely, West has claimed that Whatley appointed him to the Plan of Organization Committee in both 2021 and 2024, as reported by WRAL News.
This controversy arises as North Carolina leaders have faced increased scrutiny following high-profile murders, such as the killing of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska. Republicans have alleged that the man charged with Zarutska’s murder, Decarlos Dejuan Brown Jr., might have been among the inmates released under the COVID agreement. However, Cooper has vehemently denied this, calling it a “lie.”
The Charlotte Observer reported that a spokesperson for the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction stated that Brown was not released early. The outlet further reported that state officials indicated Brown’s release was included in the settlement releases “because the settlement allowed the state to count certain cases retroactively to meet its terms.”
Brown had a history of arrests, having been taken into custody at least 14 times prior to the killing. He had previously served time in North Carolina prison following a 2015 armed robbery conviction. He was released from custody in September 2020.
