Erwin James is a pseudonym used by a Guardian journalist who is a released life-sentence prisoner who served 20 years in prison for two murders^[1] before entering journalism.^[2] He wrote a regular column while in prison, and continued to write as well as to do charity work upon his release.

For the majority of the time in which he wrote for the paper, the circumstances leading to his arrest and conviction and the identities of his victims were not revealed. In April 2009, it became public that his real name was James Monahan,^[3] and that his victims were Greville Hallam, a 48-year-old theatrical agent, and Angus Cochrane, a 29-year-old solicitor. According to the Guardian, "Hallam was robbed and strangled in his north London home in September 1982. Cochrane died after being mugged in the West End three months later. The Old Bailey judge said Monahan was "brutal, vicious and callous"."^[4] Erwin wrote in his April 2009 confession of his identity and past that "my behaviour was unforgivable and I seek no forgiveness now."^[3]

[edit] Published works

• The Home Stretch, From Prison to Parole (2003)
• A Life Inside (2005)
• The Open University - Guest Speaker, Does Prison Work? (2005)

[edit] References