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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Gov. Gary Locke Announces Board and Commission Appointments

OLYMPIA – Aug. 21, 2003 – Gov. Gary Locke today announced the appointment of Michael Brasfield of Port Ludlow to the Sentencing Guidelines Commission. Brasfield will be the only law enforcement representative on the Commission.

Brasfield will serve on the Sentencing Guidelines Commission for a term ending Aug. 2, 2006. Brasfield is currently the elected sheriff of Jefferson County. He previously served as chief of police of Fort Lauderdale and assistant chief of the Seattle Police Department, and he received his bachelor’s degree in society and justice from the University of Washington. The Sentencing Commission evaluates and monitors adult and juvenile sentencing policies and practices and recommends modifications to the governor and the Legislature.

The Sentencing Guidelines Commission consists of 20 voting members, 16 of whom are appointed by the Governor for three-year terms, including:

four Superior Court judges
two county prosecuting attorneys
two defense attorneys
one sheriff or police chief
one juvenile court administrator
one elected county official
one elected city official
four citizens (including one victims’ advocate)

The other four voting members serve in an ex officio capacity, by virtue of their positions in state government, including

Secretary of Corrections
Assistant Secretary of Department of Social and Health Services – Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration
Chair, Indeterminate Sentence Review Board
Director of Office of Financial Management

In addition, four legislators serve on the Commission as non-voting members, two appointed by the President of the Senate and two appointed by the Speaker of the House, with one from each party in each house.

Statutory Mandate

The Sentencing Guidelines Commission derives its authority from the Sentencing Reform Act of 1981, RCW Chapter 9.94A, which directs the Commission to engage in the following activities:

Evaluating and monitoring adult and juvenile sentencing policies and practices and recommending modifications to the Governor and the Legislature.
Serving as a clearinghouse and information center on adult and juvenile sentencing.
Current Activities
Pursuant to its statutory authority, the Sentencing Guidelines Commission is currently engaged in the following activities:
Producing Adult Sentencing Guidelines Manual each fiscal year.
Producing Juvenile Disposition Manual each fiscal year.
Producing Report on Judicial Sentencing Practices each calendar year.
Evaluating the state of juvenile disposition policy and practice in the wake of fundamental reforms.
Conducting ongoing research on recidivism, disparities in sentencing, prison and jail capacity, deterrence, drug policy, sentence enhancements for weapon-related crimes, and the general state of adult sentencing policy and practice.

Contact:
Glenn Kuper, Governor’s Communications Office, 360-902-4136;
www.governor.wa.gov