James was sentenced to one year and one day of prison by U.S. District Judge Suzanne B. Conlon in Chicago on March 8, 2011. Prosecutors had sought up to four years in prison, noting the extreme violence in which James had engaged in against Neo-Nazi skinheads. Over 60 letters of support were submitted on James' behalf including letters from actor Ed Harris as well as Robert Redford, who James has credited with helping him turn his life around. James told the "New York Times" that through working with Redford "I truly realized that I needed to leave the violence of that life behind.” In Robert Redford's letter to the judge he wrote "I believe that Elgin has the potential to make a difference. He has an important message for people of all ages and the possibility of change (and) the power of nonviolence."