NCJ Number
167489
Date Published
1995
Length
35 pages
Annotation
This handbook for North Carolina courts and community corrections agencies provides a set of advisory policies for matching offenders who receive a suspended sentence to community- based sanctions.
Abstract
North Carolina's Structured Sentencing Act establishes policies for sentencing misdemeanor and felony offenders in the State. The act prioritizes jail and prison resources for violent and career offenders and channels nonviolent, non-career offenders into community-based sanctions. Under structured sentencing, judges have an array of community and intermediate punishment options from which to select when sentencing offenders; however, community corrections resources are limited, and it is essential, therefore, that courts and community corrections agencies use these resources effectively and efficiently. This may be achieved by prioritizing specific community and intermediate sanctions for eligible offenders. The set of advisory policies provided in this handbook focus on three objectives in matching offenders who receive a suspended sentence to community-based sanctions: punishment, risk-control, and reparation; these policies identify offenders best suited for certain community and intermediate sanctions. The court retains discretion to use any authorized community or intermediate sanction. The recommendations in the handbook provide an avenue for further prioritizing the use of limited community corrections resources. 12 charts