PlainSentencing — Federal Sentencing Data, Guides & Research https://plainsentencing.com Plain-language analysis of U.S. federal criminal sentencing — district and offense profiles, guideline-compliance trends, and original research from the USSC Individual Offender datafiles. en-us Sat, 18 Jul 2026 01:54:00 GMT <![CDATA[How Federal Sentencing Works: Guidelines, Departures, and Judicial Discretion]]> https://plainsentencing.com/guides/how-federal-sentencing-works/ https://plainsentencing.com/guides/how-federal-sentencing-works/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:33:12 GMT Guides <![CDATA[Understanding Federal Sentencing Guidelines]]> https://plainsentencing.com/guides/understanding-sentencing-guidelines/ https://plainsentencing.com/guides/understanding-sentencing-guidelines/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:33:12 GMT Guides <![CDATA[Mandatory Minimum Sentences: What They Are and How They Work]]> https://plainsentencing.com/guides/mandatory-minimums-explained/ https://plainsentencing.com/guides/mandatory-minimums-explained/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:33:12 GMT Guides <![CDATA[Sentencing Disparities Across Federal Districts]]> https://plainsentencing.com/guides/sentencing-disparities/ https://plainsentencing.com/guides/sentencing-disparities/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:33:12 GMT Guides <![CDATA[United States v. Booker and Its Aftermath]]> https://plainsentencing.com/guides/booker-and-its-aftermath/ https://plainsentencing.com/guides/booker-and-its-aftermath/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:33:12 GMT Guides <![CDATA[Plea Bargaining in Federal Court]]> https://plainsentencing.com/guides/plea-bargaining-in-federal-court/ https://plainsentencing.com/guides/plea-bargaining-in-federal-court/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:33:12 GMT Guides <![CDATA[How to Read Sentencing Data]]> https://plainsentencing.com/guides/reading-sentencing-data/ https://plainsentencing.com/guides/reading-sentencing-data/ Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:33:12 GMT Guides <![CDATA[Circuit-Level Federal Sentencing Variation, FY2024]]> https://plainsentencing.com/research/circuit-sentencing-variation-2024/ https://plainsentencing.com/research/circuit-sentencing-variation-2024/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 08:45:28 GMT Research <![CDATA[Geographic Sentencing Disparity by District, FY2024]]> https://plainsentencing.com/research/geographic-sentencing-disparity-2024/ https://plainsentencing.com/research/geographic-sentencing-disparity-2024/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 08:45:28 GMT Research <![CDATA[Guideline Adherence and Plea Trends, FY2015–2024]]> https://plainsentencing.com/research/guideline-adherence-trends-2015-2024/ https://plainsentencing.com/research/guideline-adherence-trends-2015-2024/ Wed, 03 Jun 2026 08:45:28 GMT Research <![CDATA[Offense Category Sentencing Breakdown, FY2024]]> https://plainsentencing.com/research/offense-category-breakdown-2023-2024/ https://plainsentencing.com/research/offense-category-breakdown-2023-2024/ Fri, 24 Apr 2026 09:54:29 GMT Research <![CDATA[State-Level Federal Sentencing Aggregates, FY2024]]> https://plainsentencing.com/research/state-sentencing-aggregation-2015-2024/ https://plainsentencing.com/research/state-sentencing-aggregation-2015-2024/ Fri, 24 Apr 2026 09:54:29 GMT Research