May 29, 2025
Today, the Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice at Cardozo Law (PCLJ) announced that client Larry Hoover has been granted clemency after serving over 52 years in prison.
Hoover, now 74 years old, was convicted of drug offenses that resulted in multiple life sentences in Federal Prison. He has spent the last thirty years at the ADX Detention Facility in Florence, Colorado, known as the harshest “supermax” federal prison in the country. He has been in solitary confinement for more than two decades.
Mr. Hoover worked tirelessly to transform his life. Despite the lack of programming available to inmates at ADX Florence, a supermax prison, he overcame his disability and taught himself how to read, obtained his GED, and enrolled in numerous courses including science, history, and health. Mr. Hoover has matured intellectually and socially and has developed a passion for empowering at-risk youth.
Mr. Hoover’s mission in life is to teach at-risk youth the dangers of gangs and street life. He has long ago denounced gangs and his prior affiliation in gang activity. He will be a huge asset to his community moving forward.
“Nearly 30 years ago, Larry Hoover received several life sentences on drug offenses. His original punishment became vastly disproportionate to that of his co-defendants, two of whom had their life sentences reduced to just 25 years,” said Joshua Dubin, Executive Director of the Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice. “Mr. Hoover’s clemency is overdue, and, despite his life sentence, he never lost hope. We at the Perlmutter Center are proud to have supported his release.”
According to Executive Director Jose Saldana of RAPP (Release Aging People in Prison), the recidivism rate for a seventy-four-year-old man in Mr. Hoover’s circumstances is less than one percent.
Hoover’s clemency was granted due to the hard work and dedication of Executive Director of the Perlmutter Center, Josh Dubin, who advocated for Mr. Hoover’s release at the White House several weeks ago. Mr. Dubin worked with the Holloway Project and attorney Justin Moore on Mr. Hoover’s executive clemency efforts.
ABOUT THE PERLMUTTER CENTER FOR LEGAL JUSTICE AT CARDOZO LAW
The Perlmutter Center for Legal Justice trains students and lawyers in the proper use of scientific evidence, focusing on the misuse of forensic science that potentially contributes to wrongful convictions. In addition, the Center seeks justice for those individuals incarcerated with excessive sentences through parole work and clemency requests. The Perlmutter Center was established through a $15-million philanthropic donation from the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Foundation.