Roy Cooper Released 4,234 Inmates During COVID. 560+ Were Rearrested in Two Years. Now He Wants a Senate Seat.

• 4,234 inmates released under Cooper's COVID settlement — 734 more than the court required — NC Sentencing Commission
• 560+ rearrested within two years of release on new charges — Fox News Digital review
• ~57% reoffense rate among released inmates, per RedState analysis of state data — NC state records
• 3,500 minimum required by the settlement Cooper's administration agreed to in 2021 — Court settlement

Former North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper (D) agreed to a COVID-era prison settlement that ultimately released 4,234 inmates — 734 more than the minimum required by the consent decree. A Fox News Digital review of state sentencing data found that more than 560 of those inmates were rearrested on new charges within two years of release.

Now Cooper is the Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, running against Republican Michael Whatley in a race that could determine Senate control. The North Carolina legislature has launched a new investigation, and the data is catching up with him.

In early 2021, Cooper's administration settled a lawsuit filed by the North Carolina NAACP, the ACLU, and allied civil rights organizations over overcrowded state prisons during the pandemic. The settlement obligated North Carolina to release at least 3,500 inmates over six months through expanded early releases, parole reviews, and other mechanisms.

State records show the Department of Public Safety ultimately released 4,234 offenders — 734 more than the minimum required. Cooper's campaign says he actually fought the releases in court and points to similar federal COVID releases under the Trump administration. But the NC Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission data doesn't care about the political narrative — it tracks outcomes. And the outcome is 560+ new arrests.

RedState obtained and analyzed the NC Sentencing Commission data. Their analysis found that approximately 57% of released inmates reoffended — a rate consistent with the Fox News Digital review showing 560+ rearrested on new charges. The reoffenses include violent crimes.

The Carolina Journal reported that Republican legislative leaders launched a formal probe in spring 2026, seeking internal state records from the Cooper era. WRAL called the emerging findings "worse than we thought" — its May 2026 reporting noted new details about which offenders were released and what they did after.

“Roy Cooper has blood on his hands.”

DJ Griffin, Whatley campaign spokesperson — Fox News Digital, May 11, 2026

Cooper's campaign called the criticisms "blatant lies from Republicans" that "have been fact-checked for months." His spokesperson argued that Cooper fought the releases in court and noted that the Trump administration released thousands of federal prisoners during COVID under similar health-risk rationales.

The comparison to federal COVID releases is legitimate context. But it doesn't answer the central question: were North Carolina inmates included in the 4,234 who committed new crimes after release? The state data says yes. Cooper's office has not disputed the 560+ rearrest figure — it has questioned how to assign political responsibility for it.

Cooper is the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination after announcing his Senate run for the seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Thom Tillis (R). Whatley — the RNC co-chair — is the likely Republican nominee. North Carolina has been a true toss-up state in recent cycles.

The Cooper campaign has so far been unable to make this story go away. Each new legislative revelation — Longleaf Politics called it "Cooper's secret list" — adds another news cycle. The rearrest database is a primary source that can be queried; the political blame game is secondary. Voters will decide which matters more.