Oklahoma Sentencing Commission
Encyclopedia
The Oklahoma Sentencing Commission was an independent agency
of the government of Oklahoma
. Now defunct, the Commission was established to maintain an effective, fair, and efficient sentencing system for the state of Oklahoma. The 17 member commission was also charged with enhancig public safety, provide truth-in-sentencing and unwarranted disparity in the sentencing of individuals convicted in the state's criminal justice system.
The Commission was provided staff support by the Oklahoma Criminal Justice Resource Center
. The Commission appoints the Director of the OCJRC.
On August 26, 2009, the Commission was dissolved following the transfer of the duties of the Center to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
created the Sentencing and Release Policy Committee. The work of the committee evolved into the creation of the Truth in Sentencing Policy Advisory Commission in 1994, followed by the creation of the Oklahoma Sentencing Commission in 1997. In 2009, the Commission was dissolved following the termination and transfer of funcation of the Oklahoma Criminal Justice Resource Center
to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation
.
Government agency
A government or state agency is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, such as an intelligence agency. There is a notable variety of agency types...
of the government of Oklahoma
Government of Oklahoma
The government of the US State of Oklahoma, established by the Oklahoma Constitution, is a republican democracy modeled after the Federal government of the United States. The state government has three branches: the executive, legislative, and judicial...
. Now defunct, the Commission was established to maintain an effective, fair, and efficient sentencing system for the state of Oklahoma. The 17 member commission was also charged with enhancig public safety, provide truth-in-sentencing and unwarranted disparity in the sentencing of individuals convicted in the state's criminal justice system.
The Commission was provided staff support by the Oklahoma Criminal Justice Resource Center
Oklahoma Criminal Justice Resource Center
The Oklahoma Criminal Justice Resource Center was an agency of the State of Oklahoma. Dissolved on July 1, 2009, the Center was a division of the Oklahoma Legislative Service Bureau with its director appointed by the Oklahoma Sentencing Commission...
. The Commission appoints the Director of the OCJRC.
On August 26, 2009, the Commission was dissolved following the transfer of the duties of the Center to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
History
Sentencing reform was initially begun in 1989 when the Oklahoma LegislatureOklahoma Legislature
The Legislature of the State of Oklahoma is the biennial meeting of the legislative branch of the government of Oklahoma. It is bicameral, comprising the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the Oklahoma Senate, with all members elected directly by the people. The House of Representatives has 101...
created the Sentencing and Release Policy Committee. The work of the committee evolved into the creation of the Truth in Sentencing Policy Advisory Commission in 1994, followed by the creation of the Oklahoma Sentencing Commission in 1997. In 2009, the Commission was dissolved following the termination and transfer of funcation of the Oklahoma Criminal Justice Resource Center
Oklahoma Criminal Justice Resource Center
The Oklahoma Criminal Justice Resource Center was an agency of the State of Oklahoma. Dissolved on July 1, 2009, the Center was a division of the Oklahoma Legislative Service Bureau with its director appointed by the Oklahoma Sentencing Commission...
to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation
Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation
The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is an independent state law enforcement agency of the government of Oklahoma. The OSBI assists the city police departments of the state and is the primary investigative agency of the state government...
.
Membership
The membership of the Commission was composed of the following, all serving five year terms:- A Justice of the Oklahoma Supreme CourtOklahoma Supreme CourtThe Supreme Court of Oklahoma is one of the two highest judicial bodies in the U.S. state of Oklahoma and leads the Oklahoma Court System, the judicial branch of the government of Oklahoma....
, appointed by the Chief Justice - An indigent defender, appointed by the Director of the Administrative Office of the Courts
- One member, appointed by the Governor of OklahomaGovernor of OklahomaThe governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
, to represent the general public - Two members of the Oklahoma House of RepresentativesOklahoma House of RepresentativesThe Oklahoma House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oklahoma Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Its members are responsible for introducing and voting on bills and resolutions, providing legislative oversight for state agencies, and helping to craft the...
, one of whom shall be a Republican and one of whom shall be a Democrat, to be appointed by the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of RepresentativesSpeaker of the Oklahoma House of RepresentativesThe Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the lower house of the Oklahoma Legislature, the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The Speaker exercises administrative and procedural functions in the House, but most importantly remains a representative of his... - Two members of the Oklahoma SenateOklahoma SenateThe Oklahoma Senate is the upper house of the two houses of the Legislature of Oklahoma, the other being the Oklahoma House of Representatives. The total number of Senators is set at 48 by the Oklahoma Constitution....
, one of whom shall be a Republican and one of whom shall be a Democrat, to be appointed by the President pro tempore of the Oklahoma SenatePresident pro tempore of the Oklahoma SenateThe President pro tempore of the Oklahoma Senate is the second-highest-ranking official of the Oklahoma Senate and the highest-ranking State Senator. The Oklahoma Constitution states the Lieutenant Governor of Oklahoma serves ex officio as President of the Senate, and is the highest-ranking... - A sitting district attorney appointed by the Oklahoma District Attorneys CouncilOklahoma District Attorneys CouncilThe Oklahoma District Attorneys Council is an agency of the state of Oklahoma that provides professional organization for the education, training and coordination of technical efforts of all Oklahoma state prosecutors and to maintain and improve prosecutor efficiency and effectiveness in enforcing...
- The Attorney General of OklahomaAttorney General of OklahomaThe Attorney General of Oklahoma is the State Attorney General for the state of Oklahoma. The Attorney General serves as the chief legal and law enforcement officer of the State of Oklahoma. The Attorney General is responsible for providing legal advise to the various agencies and departments of...
or his chief deputy - The Director of State FinanceOklahoma Office of State FinanceThe Oklahoma Office of State Finance is the Oklahoma state government agency that prepares the Governor of Oklahoma’s annual budget, analyzes the effectiveness of state management, manages the state’s budget system and makes appropriate allotments and transfers throughout the state government...
or his designee - A defense attorney appointed by the Oklahoma Bar Association
- A sitting judge of any district court in the state appointed by the assembly of presiding judges
- The Director of the Oklahoma Indigent Defense SystemOklahoma Indigent Defense SystemThe Oklahoma Indigent Defense System is the system in Oklahoma that provides trial, appellate, and post-conviction criminal defense services to persons judicially determined to be entitled to legal counsel at expense to the state...
or his chief deputy - The Director of the Oklahoma State Bureau of InvestigationOklahoma State Bureau of InvestigationThe Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is an independent state law enforcement agency of the government of Oklahoma. The OSBI assists the city police departments of the state and is the primary investigative agency of the state government...
or a designee - The Director of the Oklahoma Department of CorrectionsOklahoma Department of CorrectionsThe Oklahoma Department of Corrections is an agency of the state of Oklahoma. DOC is responsible for the administration of the state prison system. It has its headquarters in Oklahoma City, in the former Mabel Bassett Correctional Center building.The Department of Corrections is governed by the...
or his chief deputy - One member, to be appointed by the Governor of OklahomaGovernor of OklahomaThe governor of the state of Oklahoma is the head of state for the state of Oklahoma, United States. Under the Oklahoma Constitution, the governor is also the head of government, serving as the chief executive of the Oklahoma executive branch, of the government of Oklahoma...
, to represent a faith-based organization that specializes in providing prison reintegration services for inmates - A crime victim or representative of crime victims appointed by the other fourteen members of the Commission from a list of five persons submitted to the Commission by the Victim’s Compensation Board