Other · National · FY2015–FY2025
Prison Offenses
Average imposed sentence 13.1 mo in FY2025 - shorter-third average (≤ 21 mo) among 30 offense types.
- 13.1
- Avg months FY2025
- well below the national average
- 414
- Federal cases
- 62%
- Within guidelines
- high guideline adherence
- 62%
- Guilty plea
The verdict
According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission FY2025 Individual Offender Datafiles, Prison Offenses ranks #13 of 30 by caseload (414 cases) and #25 of 30 by average sentence (13.1 months).
- #13
- Caseload of 30
- #25
- Avg sentence of 30
- 13.1 months
- This offense avg FY2025
- 414
- 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.
Prison Offenses FY2024→FY2025: -1.2 mo
| Year | Cases | Avg (mo) | GL Min | GL Max | Within GL | Above GL | Below GL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | 414 | 13.1 | 14.7 | 19.7 | 62% | 3% | 35% |
| FY2024 | 438 | 14.3 | 15.2 | 20.2 | 56% | 7% | 37% |
| FY2023 | 455 | 14.5 | 15.5 | 20.9 | 58% | 5% | 37% |
| FY2022 | 499 | 12.3 | 15.1 | 19.6 | 61% | 4% | 36% |
| FY2021 | 532 | 10.8 | 12.9 | 17.7 | 58% | 4% | 39% |
| FY2020 | 457 | 11.0 | 13.7 | 18.7 | 56% | 3% | 41% |
| FY2019 | 628 | 11.1 | 13.5 | 17.8 | 63% | 4% | 34% |
| FY2018 | 567 | 12.4 | 13.9 | 18.9 | 62% | 3% | 35% |
Prison Offenses · hardest district slice
Among districts with ≥5 FY2025 cases, Eastern Pennsylvania posts the longest average (168.0 mo, 2 cases , +1182.4% vs national).
Where prison offenses 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.
13 41st percentile longer than 41% 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
Prison Offenses - Top District Disparities (FY2025)
District Comparison (FY2025)
Districts with ≥5 FY2025 Prison Offenses cases. Averages still mix case factors (history, quantity, cooperation).
| District | Cases | Avg (mo) | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eastern Pennsylvania | 2 | 168.0 | +1182.4% |
| Northern Mississippi | 1 | 60.0 | +358.0% |
| Western Virginia | 2 | 39.0 | +197.7% |
| Eastern Arkansas | 1 | 33.0 | +151.9% |
| Middle North Carolina | 1 | 33.0 | +151.9% |
| Northern Illinois | 4 | 27.0 | +106.1% |
| Middle Louisiana | 2 | 24.0 | +83.2% |
| South Carolina | 1 | 24.0 | +83.2% |
| Puerto Rico | 2 | 24.0 | +83.2% |
| Middle Georgia | 5 | 22.8 | +74.1% |
| Southern Illinois | 10 | 21.0 | +60.3% |
| Northern Texas | 11 | 19.2 | +46.9% |
| Oregon | 4 | 18.3 | +39.6% |
| Northern Iowa | 5 | 18.0 | +37.4% |
| Massachusetts | 1 | 18.0 | +37.4% |
| Western Missouri | 5 | 17.3 | +31.7% |
| Eastern Kentucky | 5 | 16.8 | +27.9% |
| Nebraska | 6 | 16.5 | +26.0% |
| Middle Tennessee | 2 | 16.0 | +22.1% |
| Maryland | 1 | 15.2 | +16.3% |
Nationwide peers · caseload or average sentence
Similar FY caseload
Nearest by ABS(414 cases).
- Tax · 407 cases · Fraud/Financial
- Murder · 405 cases · Violent Crime
- National Defense · 499 cases · Other
- Obscenity/Other Sex Offenses · 325 cases · Sex Offenses
Similar average sentence
Nearest nationwide offense types by ABS(13.1 mo here; ≥50-case types).
- Commercialized Vice · 13.4 mo avg · Other
- National Defense · 15.8 mo avg · Other
- Immigration · 10.2 mo avg · Immigration
- Administration of Justice Offenses · 17.3 mo avg · Other
Same-category peers · Other
Source: United States Sentencing Commission (USSC), Individual Offender Datafiles, FY2015–FY2025 · Methodology
What the Prison Offenses data shows
In FY2025, 414 federal defendants were sentenced for prison offenses, with an average sentence of 13.1 months -- 38.8 months below the national average across all offenses.
- 62% of prison offenses sentences in FY2025 fell within the guideline range, with 35% 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 prison offenses in FY2025 was Eastern Pennsylvania, averaging 168.0 months -- 154.9 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 Pennsylvania data
- The average sentence for prison offenses has risen 0.7 months since FY2018 (FY2018: 12.4 mo; FY2025: 13.1 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.