Nationwide — Larry Hoover, the 74-year-old co-founder of the Gangster Disciples, took a significant step toward freedom this week after President Donald Trump commuted his federal life sentence. Despite the decision, Hoover remains far from a free man and continues to be held at a federal supermax prison in Colorado, with uncertainty surrounding whether he will actually be released.
Chicago Sun Times reports that just eight months ago, a federal judge appeared to shut down Hoover’s hopes for clemency by questioning the number of murders tied to him. Now, his legal team is urging Illinois Governor JB Pritzker to follow Trump’s lead and commute Hoover’s separate state sentence for murder. Some believe Hoover’s cause was advanced by Chicago rapper Kanye West, who personally lobbied Trump on Hoover’s behalf during a 2018 White House meeting, though Trump seemed unfamiliar with Hoover at the time.
Hoover’s legal team, including attorney Justin Moore, emphasized the harsh conditions he has endured — nearly 30 years in solitary confinement — and his transformation while incarcerated. Hoover’s son posted on Instagram, “Almost home!!” while advocates like Wallace “Gator” Bradley continue to press state leaders to act. Critics, however, including former prosecutor Ron Safer, see the commutation as unwarranted, citing Hoover’s criminal legacy.
Hoover was originally sentenced in Illinois to 150–200 years for ordering the 1973 murder of William “Pooky” Young. He continued running the Gangster Disciples from prison, and by the early 1990s, federal prosecutors estimated the gang was making $100 million a year through drug sales. In 1997, he was convicted on federal charges, including running a continuing criminal enterprise, and received a life sentence.
Hoover has repeatedly appealed his sentence under the First Step Act, a law signed by Trump aimed at sentencing reform. While some see his release as a step toward restorative justice, others — including Illinois prison officials — have expressed concern over the logistical and security challenges Hoover would present if returned to the state system.
Though Hoover renounced the Gangster Disciples in 2022 and has been credited with promoting nonviolence in later years, his legacy remains deeply polarizing. While supporters highlight his attempts to steer others away from crime, opponents like Safer argue that the magnitude of his crimes should disqualify him from clemency, stating, “There are some crimes so heinous that they are not capable of mercy — and Larry Hoover’s are among them.”