Scotland County's top law officer has been given a hat to wear besides that as sheriff.

Sheriff Shep Jones was appointed to serve as the representative for the North Carolina Sheriff's Association to the N.C. Sentencing Advisory and Policy Commission, replacing Sheriff Hayden Bentley of Alexander County.

Jones says the sheriff's association's president, Sheriff James L. Knight, personally appointed him to represent the 100 sheriff's of North Carolina on the commission.

"I felt honored to be a first-term sheriff to be selected,"Jones said.

"Right now, its a learning process for me," Jones said. "There is a lot involved. I have orientation to go to in December, then I can set some goals once I see what all is entailed there."

The sentencing commission was created by the General Assembly in 1990 to make recommendations to the legislature for the modification of sentencing laws and policies and for the addition, deletion or expansion of sentencing options.

Duties of the commission includes:

• Classify criminal offenses into felony and misdemeanor categories on the basis of their severity.

• Recommend structures for use by a sentencing court in determining the most appropriate sentence to be imposed in a criminal case.

• Develop a correctional population simulation model.

• Recommend a comprehensive community corrections strategy and organizational structure for the State.

• Study and make additional policy recommendations.

The commission's 30 members meet quarterly and represent the three branches of government, all areas of the criminal justice system and the general public.

The commission's prior work led to the passage of the Structured Sentencing Act, which became effective in 1994. That law prescribed sentencing options for judges based on the severity of the crime and the prior record of the offender.