Why Roy Cooper Chose a Former Bloods Member for His Criminal‑Justice Task Force

In 2020, Roy Cooper – the former Democratic governor of North Carolina who is now running for the U.S. Senate – issued an executive order to create a Racial Equity in Criminal Justice task force following the nationwide protests sparked by George Floyd’s killing.

Cooper asked then‑state attorney general Josh Stein to head the new panel and filled it with a blend of state officials and community activists, including Kerwin Pittman.

Pittman had been convicted in 2007 of conspiracy to commit murder, served 14 years in prison, and prosecutors had identified him as a ranking member of the Bloods gang during a murder trial.

Speaking to the Free Beacon, Pittman said he was invited because of his lived experience and his recent work in local communities, arguing that his background could help shape honest conversations about reform.

Cooper’s choice reflects a broader strategy: bringing people who have personally navigated the criminal‑justice system onto reform bodies in the hope that their first‑hand perspective will lead to more realistic policies.

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