The Alabama Sentencing Commission was established to maintain an effective, fair, and efficient sentencing system for the state of Alabama

Alabama

Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...

. The 17-member commission is also charged with enhancing public safety, providing truth-in-sentencing and preventing unwarranted disparity in the sentencing of individuals convicted in the state's criminal justice

Criminal justice

Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...

 system.

History

The commission was established by statute in 2000 after a two-year study of sentencing policy in Alabama concluded that significant problems existed within the state's then-existing sentencing and corrections structure. Main offices for the commission are located in Montgomery, Alabama

Montgomery, Alabama

Montgomery is the capital of the U.S. state of Alabama, and is the county seat of Montgomery County. It is located on the Alabama River southeast of the center of the state, in the Gulf Coastal Plain. As of the 2010 census, Montgomery had a population of 205,764 making it the second-largest city...

.