Trump Commutes Larry Hoover’s Sentence as Illinois Weighs Justice Reform for Elderly Inmates (Chicago, IL) — In a striking development in the ongoing national debate over criminal justice reform, former President Donald J. Trump has commuted the sentence of Larry Hoover, the once-feared gang leader who has spent more than 50 years behind bars. The decision is already reverberating across the country, energizing reform advocates and drawing renewed attention to long-incarcerated individuals.
Among those speaking out is Unstacked, Inc., a nonprofit advocacy group based in Chicago, which is now calling on the Illinois General Assembly to take immediate legislative action. The group is urging lawmakers to pass the Retroactive Justice for Illinois C-Number Prisoners Act—a bill that would offer relief to a small group of elderly inmates sentenced under outdated laws.
“These men have served more than four decades in prison under a sentencing system that Illinois abandoned in 1978,” said Orville Miller, president of Unstacked, Inc. “Their continued incarceration is not just unfair—it’s a moral failure.”
The bill focuses on a group of just 37 incarcerated individuals, all over the age of 65, who were sentenced under Illinois’ now-defunct indeterminate sentencing structure. Known as “C-number prisoners,” they have been excluded from the more standardized determinate sentencing system adopted by the state nearly 50 years ago.
If passed, the legislation would allow these inmates to seek resentencing under the 1978 guidelines, with time served—including credit for good behavior—applied retroactively. Those who have already met the terms of their new sentences would be released on Mandatory Supervised Release.
Supporters say the bill could correct a historical oversight that has left this aging population behind. Critics of indeterminate sentencing argue that it led to inconsistent and overly punitive prison terms, often based on parole board discretion rather than clear judicial guidelines.
Miller called the timing of Hoover’s commutation “symbolic and instructive.”
“President Trump’s action reminds us of the power and necessity of second chances,” he said. “Illinois must now act to extend that principle to these forgotten elders in our correctional system.”
The Retroactive Justice for Illinois C-Number Prisoners Act would take effect immediately upon passage. Advocates are urging lawmakers to move swiftly, emphasizing the advanced age and deteriorating health of many affected inmates.
Unstacked, Inc., which works on issues ranging from youth development to reentry support, has made this legislation a central part of its advocacy agenda. The organization operates out of Chicago’s Burnside neighborhood and has been active in promoting equity in criminal justice since its founding in 2021.
As momentum builds around justice reform at both state and federal levels, advocates see this bill as a critical next step toward creating a more humane and equitable system in Illinois.
Trump Commutes Larry Hoover’s Sentence as Illinois Weighs Justice Reform for Elderly Inmates
