You reported the loss of life of Erwin James as nationwide information (January 23). Throughout the twenty years he lived inside and one other twenty years exterior, Jim wrote and spoke about captivity. He wrote not in broad strokes, however by way of private tales, detailing small acts of kindness and cruelty in dehumanizing establishments.
Jim introduced this least seen and most uncared for a part of our public companies to public consideration. He described the work of prisoner listeners, skilled and supported by the Samaritans, and was one himself for a few years – not that he mentioned. He helped individuals survive incarceration, inspired jail workers to deal with everybody with dignity and respect it doesn’t matter what that they had carried out, and impressed jail reformers inside and outdoors the system to proceed working for change.
His loss of life, only a 12 months after the loss of life of the Guardian’s jail correspondent Eric Allison, is a large loss and certainly nationwide information.
Julia Lyon
Former director of the Jail Reform Belief
In your article on the life and loss of life of Erwin James, you reminded us why he was despatched to jail for all times in 1984, when he was 27. Along with others he robbed and killed two individuals; he described these crimes as “inexcusable” and himself as a “broken, ignorant brute”. Twenty years later he was launched on parole as a unique and totally rehabilitated particular person. He would not be handled like that in the present day.
I just lately represented a 29-year-old man who, along with others, robbed and murdered two individuals. Though the prosecutor and decide agreed that the truth that they didn’t intend to kill their victims was an necessary mitigating issue, the present sentencing tips resulted on this legal being ordered to serve a jail sentence. a minimum of 38 years of his life sentence earlier than he can apply for parole.
In 1984 there have been 621 murders in Britain and by 2023 there have been 602, so it would not look like our criminals are getting braver, however it does appear that as a society we have now deserted just about any considered rehabilitation in favor of significant murders. retaliation. Is that this progress?
Paul KeleherKC
London
It was with nice disappointment that I heard of the loss of life of Erwin James. He was the right antidote to all those that needed to reintroduce the loss of life penalty. His columns have been informative and entertaining, giving us perception right into a world that few of us have encountered or want to see. The stress in his piece in regards to the parole board listening to that might determine his launch was similar to that of any best-selling thriller author. In a world of accelerating intolerance, he shall be sadly missed.
Peter Thornton
Ramsbottom, Better Manchester