WHO IS LARRY HAMILTON?
Larry Hamilton was born in Kansas City, MO on March 23, 1954. He has six siblings—five brothers and one sister. Two of his brothers have passed away, but he remains very close with his four surviving siblings and very large extended family, including dozens of nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. Prior to incarceration, Larry earned a living as a steelworker and a typewriter repairman. He was married at the time of his arrest and lived in Harvey, Illinois with his wife and two young sons.
In the late 1970s when Larry was in his early 20s, he made some very bad decisions that would impact him for the rest of his life. On January 19, 1978, he and his co-defendant were in a car accident with a married couple traveling on the I-94. Following the collision, Larry and the other driver inspected the damage and then returned to their respective vehicles. A few minutes later, Larry and his co-defendant exited their car and approached the other vehicle. Mr. Hamilton and his co-defendant fired shots into the car, killing the husband and injuring the wife.
Larry deeply regrets what he did that fateful day more than 40 years ago, stating, "What I did in the past I am not proud of. I was a lost soul, and was not thinking clearly or rationally. I am truly sorry to the people I hurt. I can’t begin to imagine the pain and heartbreak that I caused this family. I have lived with this dreadful crime for over forty years. I know that I will never be able to repay this family for what I took from them. I know that I will never be able to repay my sons for the lost time I had with them. All I can do now is try to make the most of what little life I have left. I am focused on on my future and determined to be the best man I can be now."
Shortly after his arrival to prison in 1978, Larry enrolled in
every program he could get his hands on to turn his life around. He
earned his GED at Pontiac Correctional Center. He also earned his
Certificate in Welding, as well as a Certificate in Heavy Machine
Repair. He has completed dozens of courses through the World Bible
School, American Bible Academy, Evangel Prison Ministries, and
Little Lamb School of the Bible, using this time to engage in deep
reflection, remorse and rehabilitation. More recently, he has also
found spirituality, self-control and empathy through the Buddhist
religion. He regularly practices mindful meditation, which helps him
cope with the confines of prison, including 14 years that he spent
in solitary confinement.
Today, Larry is not the same person he was when he was sent to prison 42 years ago. He will be turning 66 years old this March. He has evolved into a thoughtful, compassionate man who exhibits a deep concern and care for others, including his penpals from New York, the friends he has made inside of prison, and his wide network of family and friends outside of prison.
Larry understands his incarceration is the consequence for the
irreparable choices he made as a young man. He will never be free
from the weight of his culpability, or the deep remorse and sadness
for the losses he caused. Yet he strives every day to move forward
in the only way he can: by living a life of peace and compassion.
Larry is in the fight for his life as he seeks parole from the
Illinois Prison Review Board in March. He has a solid re-entry plan
that includes housing with his wonderful family in Kansas City, MO.
In addition, Larry's attorney Emily Powers is committed to fighting
for his release through parole. She represents Larry pro bono
because she not only believes in him and his humanity, but
embraces Bryan Stevenson's notion that each of us is more than
the worst thing that we have ever done, and that a true justice
system does not merely focus on retribution, but on redemption.
WHO ARE C# INMATES?
Larry Hamilton is a C# inmate incarcerated at Lawrence
Correctional Center and is serving a 1,250-2,500 year sentence for
his crime. In Illinois, there are approximately 110 people currently
incarcerated who were sentenced for crimes committed before 1978,
under Illinois’ former indeterminate sentencing scheme, which the
legislature abolished in 1978. These inmates are referred to as
"C# prisoners" because their prison identification numbers
begin with the letter C, with a few exceptions.
Most C numbers have been in prison at least 40 years, some as
long as 50 years. Many were convicted for crimes they committed as
teenagers or young adults. In many cases, they would be out of
prison had they been sentenced under the determinate sentencing
scheme implemented in Illinois in 1978 when the legislature
abolished adult parole.
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*All funds raised during this campaign will NOT go towards attorney fees. I am donating my time and will not profit off of this case. Donations and contributions will be used to cover the costs of his family traveling from Kansas City, MO to Lawrence Correctional Center for his institutional hearing in February, and to Springfield, IL for his en banc hearing in March. Any additional proceeds will go to supporting Larry's reentry, including helping him buy new clothes and personal items to help with his transition. Larry has never seen a cell phone before, but also "thinks he may want one of those." Donations are NOT tax-deductible for the donor.
