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 enhancing public safety, providing truth-in-sentencing and unwarranted disparity in the sentencing of individuals convicted in the state's criminal justice system.
Sentencing reform was initially begun in 1989 when the Oklahoma Legislature 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 function of the Oklahoma Criminal Justice Resource Center to the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
Membership
The membership of the Commission was composed of the following, all serving five year terms:
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
