Background

PlainSentencing is a data journalism portal that examines federal sentencing disparities using public data from the U.S. Sentencing Commission to highlight patterns in the justice system. The team provides detailed analyses, visualizations, and resources for the public, with content that is compiled by our editorial team. The team does not accept payment from entities it covers to ensure impartial coverage.

How to use this site

PlainSentencing publishes reference material, data-driven pages, and explanatory tools. Use the source information, assumptions, limitations, and methodology shown on the individual page to decide whether it fits your situation.

Published information can summarize source data or provide an estimate; it is not professional financial, medical, legal, or engineering advice. For an important decision, compare the relevant page with a primary source or a qualified professional.

How information is presented

Pages that present data or estimates identify the available source, method, and material limitations. Results can differ from real-world outcomes because inputs, rules, rates, rounding, data coverage, and individual circumstances vary.

The methodology page explains the site-level approach and limitations. Check the source information on the page you are using rather than treating site-wide wording as a substitute for the current source.

Feedback

If you find an error, stale figure, or missing context on any page we publish, please use the contact page or write to hello@plainsentencing.com with the URL and the issue.

Areas of focus

• federal sentencing disparity
• sentencing data
• public dataset analysis

Contact and identity

• Email: hello@plainsentencing.com
• Publisher: https://plainsentencing.com