The Sentencing and Policy Advisory Commission (SPAC) has consistently dealt with politically charged issues, such as reliance on incarceration versus other sanctions, proper sentencing objectives in different contexts, and division of labor between State and local programs, in terms of resources rather than in terms of principles. The SPAC's experience casts some doubt on the notion that sentencing systems can evolve as one State after another develops structured sentencing models. Efforts to reform sentencing in North Carolina are addressed in relation to the Fair Sentencing Act, comprehensive community-based punishment, and mandatory sentencing. The genesis and work of the SPAC and its enabling legislation are described, and distinctive features of sentencing politics in North Carolina are noted. 174 footnotes and 1 figure