Orange Correctional Center officials first noticed William Cooper, 46, was missing during the Monday morning count at around 6. He was recaptured at around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday in Hillsborough.
Cooper was behind bars serving a three-year sentence for a larceny conviction in Alamance County. He was scheduled for release in December 2024.
Cooper will now face addition charges and be moved to a higher security facility.
A female suspect has also been arrested in the case and will face charges of aiding and abetting in the escape.
Orange Correctional Center is a minimum security prison for males located on Clarence Walters Road in Hillsborough. It has a capacity of 200 inmates.