Violent Crime · National · FY2015–FY2025
Manslaughter
Average imposed sentence 89.1 mo in FY2025 - longer-third average (> 72 mo) among 30 offense types.
- 89.1
- Avg months FY2025
- well above the national average
- 94
- Federal cases
- 42%
- Within guidelines
- typical guideline adherence
- 81%
- Guilty plea
The verdict
According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission FY2025 Individual Offender Datafiles, Manslaughter ranks #23 of 30 by caseload (94 cases) and #7 of 30 by average sentence (89.1 months).
- #23
- Caseload of 30
- #7
- Avg sentence of 30
- 89.1 months
- This offense avg FY2025
- 94
- This offense cases FY2025
Caseload rank covers every district with at least one FY case. Average-sentence rank covers districts with at least 100 cases so a thin docket cannot top the list. Offense ranks cover the 30 published guideline types. Averages follow offense mix, not court character.
Manslaughter FY2024→FY2025: +9.9 mo
| Year | Cases | Avg (mo) | GL Min | GL Max | Within GL | Above GL | Below GL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | 94 | 89.1 | 61.0 | 74.5 | 42% | 40% | 18% |
| FY2024 | 111 | 79.2 | 60.1 | 73.9 | 45% | 30% | 25% |
| FY2023 | 86 | 77.1 | 61.4 | 75.5 | 44% | 31% | 25% |
| FY2022 | 79 | 88.8 | 64.2 | 78.7 | 42% | 39% | 19% |
| FY2021 | 56 | 69.7 | 64.3 | 77.7 | 38% | 25% | 36% |
| FY2020 | 38 | 62.8 | 53.7 | 64.8 | 62% | 18% | 21% |
| FY2019 | 73 | 73.4 | 57.8 | 70.1 | 53% | 23% | 24% |
| FY2018 | 61 | 67.1 | 51.8 | 63.2 | 56% | 25% | 19% |
Manslaughter · hardest district slice
Among districts with ≥5 FY2025 cases, Eastern Missouri posts the longest average (240.0 mo, 1 cases , +169.4% vs national).
Where manslaughter sentences sit among all federal sentences (FY2025)
Each bar counts imposed federal prison terms in that length band; the marker is this offense's average.
89 81st percentile longer than 81% of 61,431 federal sentences
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more federal sentences. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles · FY2025
Manslaughter - Top District Disparities (FY2025)
District Comparison (FY2025)
Districts with ≥5 FY2025 Manslaughter cases. Averages still mix case factors (history, quantity, cooperation).
| District | Cases | Avg (mo) | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Missouri | 1 | 240.0 | +169.4% |
| Northern Mississippi | 1 | 240.0 | +169.4% |
| Western Virginia | 1 | 180.0 | +102.0% |
| Western Louisiana | 4 | 154.5 | +73.4% |
| North Dakota | 3 | 136.7 | +53.4% |
| Northern Oklahoma | 9 | 110.4 | +24.0% |
| Southern Florida | 1 | 100.0 | +12.2% |
| Eastern Oklahoma | 9 | 90.3 | +1.4% |
| Nebraska | 2 | 88.5 | -0.7% |
| South Dakota | 15 | 88.3 | -0.9% |
| Western Washington | 2 | 85.5 | -4.0% |
| Arizona | 14 | 78.2 | -12.2% |
| South Carolina | 1 | 78.0 | -12.5% |
| New Mexico | 13 | 72.8 | -18.2% |
| Alaska | 1 | 72.0 | -19.2% |
| Eastern Arkansas | 1 | 72.0 | -19.2% |
| Puerto Rico | 1 | 70.0 | -21.4% |
| Southern New York | 2 | 66.5 | -25.4% |
| Northern Texas | 1 | 66.0 | -25.9% |
| Colorado | 3 | 62.3 | -30.0% |
Nationwide peers · caseload or average sentence
Similar FY caseload
Nearest by ABS(94 cases).
- Commercialized Vice · 88 cases · Other
- Individual Rights · 100 cases · Other
- Forgery/Counterfeiting/Copyright · 83 cases · Fraud/Financial
- Drug Possession · 107 cases · Drug Offenses
Similar average sentence
Nearest nationwide offense types by ABS(89.1 mo here; ≥50-case types).
- Drug Trafficking · 90.0 mo avg · Drug Offenses
- Assault · 82.3 mo avg · Violent Crime
- Individual Rights · 74.2 mo avg · Other
- Arson · 71.9 mo avg · Violent Crime
Same-category peers · Violent Crime
Source: United States Sentencing Commission (USSC), Individual Offender Datafiles, FY2015–FY2025 · Methodology
What the Manslaughter data shows
In FY2025, 94 federal defendants were sentenced for manslaughter, with an average sentence of 89.1 months -- 37.2 months above the national average across all offenses.
- 42% of manslaughter sentences in FY2025 fell within the guideline range, with 18% below (downward departures or variances, often for cooperation). The below-range rate reflects how frequently prosecutors offer departure motions for substantial assistance. How the guidelines work
- The highest-average district for manslaughter in FY2025 was Eastern Missouri, averaging 240.0 months -- 150.9 months above the national average. Case-specific factors within this offense (criminal history, quantity or aggravating circumstances, cooperation) drive that gap as much as any district-level pattern; the comparison below shows the full spread. Eastern Missouri data
- The average sentence for manslaughter has risen 22 months since FY2018 (FY2018: 67.1 mo; FY2025: 89.1 mo). The trend chart above compares actual sentences against the guideline midpoint each year. Post-Booker sentencing trends
Descriptive USSC aggregates, not legal advice; individual sentences depend on case-specific facts.
PlainSentencing is rendered directly from the United States Sentencing Commission Individual Offender Datafiles, no number is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified. Report a data issue on this page.