The book covers legislative changes through the end of the 1996 General Assembly sessions and relevant decisions of the North Carolina Supreme Court and Court of Appeals. The first chapter examines authorized sentence types, including the authority to punish, quasi-sentences (deterred prosecution, prayer for judgment continued, and probation without conviction for certain drug offenses), fines, probation, and active prison or jail terms. The second chapter addresses sentencing procedures (plea bargaining, sentencing law, felony sentencing for firearms use, drug trafficking, fair sentencing, aggravating and mitigating factors, and sentencing for impaired driving). The third chapter reviews the modification and correction of sentences, while the fourth chapter considers the service of prison and jail sentences. The final two chapters discuss the administration of probation, parole, and supervised release and other postconviction matters. Notes and tables