About Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission
The North Carolina Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission was created by the General Assembly in 1990 to make recommendations to the General Assembly for the modification of sentencing laws and policies, and for the addition, deletion, or expansion of sentencing options as necessary to achieve policy goals. Specifically, the Commission was directed to:
- Classify criminal offenses into felony and misdemeanor categories on the basis of their severity;
- Recommend structures for use by a sentencing court in determining the most appropriate sentence to be imposed in a criminal case;
- Develop a correctional population simulation model;
- Recommend a comprehensive community corrections strategy and organizational structure for the State; and,
- Study and make additional policy recommendations.
The Commission has 28 members drawn from all three branches of government; from all areas of the criminal justice system; and from the public. The Commission's prior work led to the passage of the Structured Sentencing Act which became effective in 1994. That law established truth in sentencing and prescribed sentencing options for judges based on the severity of the crime and the prior record of the offender.
Commission Members
| Hon. Charlie Brown, Chairman | Chief District Court Judge |
| Frances Battle | Victim Assistance Network |
| Hon. Warren Daniel | State Senator |
| Louise Davis | Community Sentencing Association |
| Danielle Marquis Elder | Attorney General's Office |
| Hon. Sherri Elliott | District Court Judges’ Association |
| Hon. John Faircloth | State Representative |
| Hon. Milton “Toby” Fitch, Jr. | State Senator |
| Willis Fowler | Post-Release Supervision & Parole Commission |
| Lindsey Granados | Advocates for Justice |
| Hon. R. Greg Horne | Conference of Superior Court Judges |
| Joseph Houchin | Lieutenant Governor's Appointee |
| Susan Katzenelson | Private Citizen, Governor's Appointee |
| Chief Henry King, Jr. | Association of Chiefs of Police |
| Hon. Tammy Lee | Association of County Commissioners |
| Sheriff Garry McFadden | Sheriffs' Association |
| Dr. Harvey McMurray | Academic Member |
| Hon. Allen McNeill | State Representative |
| Hon. James Mixson, III | Association of Clerks of Superior Court |
| Luther Moore | Retail Merchants' Association |
| Timothy Moose | Department of Public Safety |
| Hon. Fred Morrison, Jr. | Justice Fellowship |
| Hon. William Richardson | State Representative |
| Hon. Bob Steinburg, Sr. | State Senator |
| Calvin Suber | Commission Chairman's Appointee |
| Hon. Michael Waters | Conference of District Attorneys |
| Patrick Weede | Bar Association |
| Hon. Valerie Zachary | Court of Appeals |
Commission Staff
N.C. Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission
PO Box 2448
Raleigh, NC 27602-2448
Phone: (919) 890-1470
Fax: (919) 890-1933
| Michelle Hall | Executive Director |
| John Madler | Associate Director for Policy, Staff Attorney |
| Ginny Hevener | Associate Director for Research |
| Meghan Boyd Ward | Research & Policy Associate |
| Tamara Flinchum | Senior Research & Policy Associate |
| John King | Senior Research & Policy Associate |
| Shelley Kirk | Administrative Secretary |
| Melissa Lugo | Research & Policy Associate |
| Jennifer Lutz | Research & Policy Associate |
| Rebecca Whitaker | Research & Policy Associate |
Commission Meetings - Agendas and Minutes
2021 SPAC Commission Meetings
- March 5, 2021
- May 7, 2021
- June 4, 2021
- September 10, 2021
- December 3, 2021
- March 6, 2020
- June 5, 2020
- September 11, 2020
- December 4, 2020
- March 1, 2019
- June 7, 2019
- September 27, 2019
- December 6, 2019