Per the recommendation of Alice Marie Johnson, the White House Pardon Czar, President Trump commuted the prison sentence of Chicago's former Gangster Disciples co-founder, Larry Hoover. Larry, 74, is currently serving multiple life sentences in Colorado's Super Max prison.
Hoover was incarcerated in 1973 in Illinois for the gang murder of William "Pooky" Young as a young adult. Over time, the former Gangster Disciples leader became a model inmate and reportedly helped minimize gang activity in many Illinois prisons.
While serving his initial sentence, Hoover worked with Dr. Clemens Bartollas, a sociology professor who obtained an arrangement with the Illinois Department of Corrections that allowed Larry to speak to his class via phone about the impact of gangs on society. Dr. Bartollas attested that Larry's contributions to his courses were very impactful.
Yet, Hoover was convicted of leading a criminal enterprise after being accused of continuing to oversee the Gangster Disciples in 1997, which prompted his current incarceration.
The media has consistently revisited his incarceration, as various efforts to advocate for his release have taken place over the years. In 1995, Neal Pollack wrote an article titled "The Gang that Could Go Straight" for The Chicago Reader after interviewing Hoover during his stint at Dixon Correctional Facility. The Chicago Tribune described the former gang leader as "a highly intelligent man" who demonstrated brilliance in many ways.
A college graduate, his son, Larry Hoover Jr., was nominated for a Grammy in 2022 after collaborating with Kanye West on the song "Jesus Lord." In his spoken word segment on the track, Hoover Jr. stated, "After twenty-five years of being locked down, spending twenty-three hours a day in his cell, my father has not called any shots from one of the most secure and segregated prisons in the world. And once released, he will not call any shots for the Gangster Disciples. If my father's intentions were to lead us towards death and destruction, into the hell that he has had to endure for the past twenty-six years, he would be dead to me."
The state of Illinois has not confirmed how his previous state sentence will be impacted by Trump's federal pardon.
No additional details regarding his release have been provided.
This story will be updated.
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