Other · National · FY2015–FY2025
National Defense
Average imposed sentence 15.8 mo in FY2025 - shorter-third average (≤ 21 mo) among 30 offense types.
- 15.8
- Avg months FY2025
- well below the national average
- 499
- Federal cases
- 31%
- Within guidelines
- low guideline adherence
- 34%
- Guilty plea
The verdict
According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission FY2025 Individual Offender Datafiles, National Defense ranks #12 of 30 by caseload (499 cases) and #23 of 30 by average sentence (15.8 months).
- #12
- Caseload of 30
- #23
- Avg sentence of 30
- 15.8 months
- This offense avg FY2025
- 499
- 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.
National Defense FY2024→FY2025: -19 mo
| Year | Cases | Avg (mo) | GL Min | GL Max | Within GL | Above GL | Below GL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | 499 | 15.8 | 53.1 | 54.2 | 31% | 2% | 67% |
| FY2024 | 229 | 34.8 | 96.3 | 52.7 | 29% | 2% | 70% |
| FY2023 | 237 | 44.6 | 108.8 | 71.9 | 34% | 1% | 65% |
| FY2022 | 180 | 45.6 | 66.0 | 72.1 | 35% | 1% | 64% |
| FY2021 | 217 | 41.7 | 153.3 | 60.5 | 37% | 2% | 61% |
| FY2020 | 165 | 43.1 | 59.2 | 78.6 | 34% | 0% | 66% |
| FY2019 | 195 | 47.8 | 230.9 | 80.7 | 25% | 0% | 75% |
| FY2018 | 204 | 62.6 | 235.0 | 84.7 | 26% | 2% | 72% |
National Defense · hardest district slice
Among districts with ≥5 FY2025 cases, Massachusetts posts the longest average (180.0 mo, 1 cases , +1039.2% vs national).
Where national defense 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.
16 43rd percentile longer than 43% 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
National Defense - Top District Disparities (FY2025)
District Comparison (FY2025)
Districts with ≥5 FY2025 National Defense cases. Averages still mix case factors (history, quantity, cooperation).
| District | Cases | Avg (mo) | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | 1 | 180.0 | +1039.2% |
| Eastern Pennsylvania | 1 | 126.0 | +697.5% |
| Northern Illinois | 4 | 107.5 | +580.4% |
| Western Kentucky | 1 | 101.0 | +539.2% |
| Central California | 2 | 96.0 | +507.6% |
| Western Arkansas | 1 | 96.0 | +507.6% |
| Eastern Virginia | 6 | 93.4 | +491.2% |
| Eastern North Carolina | 2 | 70.0 | +343.0% |
| Southern New York | 1 | 60.0 | +279.7% |
| Middle Tennessee | 2 | 57.0 | +260.8% |
| District of Columbia | 5 | 38.6 | +144.4% |
| Utah | 1 | 36.0 | +127.8% |
| Southern Georgia | 1 | 36.0 | +127.8% |
| Eastern New York | 8 | 32.1 | +103.2% |
| Hawaii | 3 | 30.0 | +89.9% |
| Northern Alabama | 49 | 30.0 | +90.0% |
| Arizona | 51 | 26.7 | +69.3% |
| Southern Florida | 12 | 26.3 | +66.7% |
| Middle Florida | 11 | 23.7 | +49.8% |
| Southern Texas | 66 | 23.6 | +49.1% |
Nationwide peers · caseload or average sentence
Similar FY caseload
Nearest by ABS(499 cases).
- Administration of Justice Offenses · 558 cases · Other
- Prison Offenses · 414 cases · Other
- Tax · 407 cases · Fraud/Financial
- Murder · 405 cases · Violent Crime
Similar average sentence
Nearest nationwide offense types by ABS(15.8 mo here; ≥50-case types).
- Administration of Justice Offenses · 17.3 mo avg · Other
- Commercialized Vice · 13.4 mo avg · Other
- Prison Offenses · 13.1 mo avg · Other
- Obscenity/Other Sex Offenses · 21.4 mo avg · Sex Offenses
Same-category peers · Other
Source: United States Sentencing Commission (USSC), Individual Offender Datafiles, FY2015–FY2025 · Methodology
What the National Defense data shows
In FY2025, 499 federal defendants were sentenced for national defense, with an average sentence of 15.8 months -- 36.1 months below the national average across all offenses.
- 31% of national defense sentences in FY2025 fell within the guideline range, with 67% 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 national defense in FY2025 was Massachusetts, averaging 180.0 months -- 164.2 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. Massachusetts data
- The average sentence for national defense has fallen 46.8 months since FY2018 (FY2018: 62.6 mo; FY2025: 15.8 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.