Lil Bit, as James was known to his friends, was a member of a prison gang variously called Solid Wood Soldiers and Separate White State. (Keeping the acronym the same let them save money on tattooing). Apparently Lil Bit had a bit of a temper and assaulted a member of a rival white supremacist gang.
This sort of thing is a big no-no in gangland. The sort of no-no that can start messy gang feuds that end with a lot of woods chopped to kindling. So, displaying typical WS gang solidarity and courage, the other SWS decided to handle the matter - by murdering James so the bigger scarier gang wouldn't kill them.