There's no resolution yet to the fight over the release of 27 rapists and murderers.
A court ruling set the stage for them to be set free this week, but Governor Perdue stopped it for now.
However, at least one inmate might have gotten too much credit for good behavior.
It's become an emotional and political tug of war.
Right now, there's no indication how long Governor Perdue can stall their release.
Tommy Davis can't believe it's even a debate.
"Frustrated that the law has let us down," said Tommy Davis.
The release of the 27 inmates hits Davis very close to home.
Two prisoners convicted of killing his father in 1975 are on the list to go free.
Faye Brown and Joseph Seaborn are doing life sentences for the murder of trooper Guy Davis.
Those 34 years have not passed easily.
"I still feel the pain and the hurt, when they first told me," Davis said.
The inmates' life sentences got cut by more than half for good behavior and credit for education and other activity.
However, the state might have overlooked bad behavior.
Take the case of Steven Wilson.
He got a life sentence for kidnapping and raping a 9-year-old girl from Kinston.
New accusations against him surfaced while he was out on work release at a fast food store in 1990.
A 7-year-old girl's parents claim he sexually assaulted their daughter in the bathroom.
Authorities never charged him and his credit for good behavior remained intact.
Governor Perdue claims the correction secretary at the time overstepped his power in all these cases.
Prisoner advocates disagree.
"Debate about the appropriate sanction for criminal behavior is a hallmark of our democracy. Keeping people in prison beyond the legal limit of those sanctions is not," said Dick Taylor of North Carolina Advocates for Justice.
"It hadn't happened yet, we still got hope they'll remain in jail, but that's out of my control," Davis said.
The fight for that control isn't over yet.
Governor Perdue's been overseas in Asia.
She goes back to work on Wednesday.
Her staff says the battle over the inmate release will be her top priority.
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