Republican critics are hammering former North Carolina governor Roy Cooper over a COVID-era prison release agreement after reviews showed hundreds of those freed were rearrested within two years. The controversy has become a central line of attack in his heated Senate race against Republican Michael Whatley, with Republicans saying public safety was sacrificed and Cooper’s campaign saying the claims are false. The data, individual cases and fierce political back-and-forth make this a raw issue voters are seeing play out in real time.
Republicans say the release program was a catastrophic policy failure that let dangerous people return to the streets. A review of state sentencing data found more than 560 inmates released under the agreement were later rearrested on new charges within two years. Critics argue those numbers show the release decision badly underestimated the risk to communities.
The agreement itself led to roughly 3,500 inmates being freed over a 180-day span from February through August 2021 after a 2020 lawsuit alleging unconstitutional COVID-19 risks in crowded prisons. Cooper’s campaign pushed back hard, saying he fought the releases in court and calling the attacks “blatant lies from Republicans.” They also pointed out that thousands were released at the federal level during the previous administration for COVID-related reasons.
Some of the cases highlighted by opponents are particularly stark. Tyrell Brace, who had prior convictions including assault by strangulation and other felonies, was later charged with first-degree murder in the killing of a young father in Charlotte. Records indicate Brace was released earlier than originally scheduled, which opponents say raises questions about the release criteria and oversight.
Another example cited by critics is Daron Owens, who was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possession of a firearm by a felon after a drive-by shooting months after his early release. Owens had been released roughly a month early, drawing sharp criticism from those who say the policy allowed violent recidivism.
Numbers from a sampled group also alarm Republicans. In a reviewed sample of 1,180 prisoners released during the period, 48 percent — 566 people — were later arrested on new charges, and about 20 percent of that sample were subsequently convicted. Those figures are being used to argue the releases were too broad and not sufficiently risk-targeted.
Other released individuals later implicated in serious crimes include Jimmie Speight, who had past convictions including indecent liberty with a child and failure to register as a sex offender and was released months early before later receiving a lengthy sentence for second-degree murder. Kyshuan Norrell, previously convicted of manslaughter, was also released and later sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder.
Michael Whatley has made public safety the centerpiece of his campaign attacks, posting on X that “Roy Cooper was a complete failure at keeping our communities safe.” He added, “Victims’ families deserve answers,” and asked, “Why did Roy Cooper allow these dangerous criminals back on our streets?” Those lines aim to connect the release policy directly to voter concerns about crime.
Whatley’s campaign spokesperson pushed the criticism further, saying bluntly that “Roy Cooper has blood on his hands.” DJ Griffin also argued that Cooper’s “dangerous decision to release thousands of convicted felons during COVID has resulted in the deaths of 19 North Carolinians.” Griffin added, “Now, victims’ families say he is solely to blame for these deaths. All while Cooper refuses to take any responsibility for his actions,” said Griffin.
National Republican groups piled on, calling the releases “INSANE” and demanding answers. One spokesperson stated the agreement amounted to aiding the release of violent offenders and warned that “Cooper’s soft-on-crime policies are too dangerous for North Carolina families.” Those attacks are meant to nationalize the issue and raise stakes for the Senate contest.
Cooper’s campaign insists the accusations are inaccurate and has repeatedly said “these blatant lies from Republicans have been fact-checked for months and found to be false.” They also say Cooper refused calls to commute sentences during the pandemic and that state officials used criteria similar to those used at the federal level a year earlier. The campaign has also pointed to controversies from the opposing side, alleging troubling personnel choices within the state GOP during Whatley’s tenure.
The dispute has also touched on high-profile crimes that intensified scrutiny of the release program, including the deadly attack on a Ukrainian refugee in Charlotte. Republicans have claimed the suspect may have been freed under the COVID agreement, a claim Cooper rejected as a “lie.” The man charged in that killing had a lengthy arrest history and was released from custody in September 2020, a timeline that has been central to competing narratives in the race.
