Violent Crime · National · FY2015–FY2025
Stalking/Harassing
44% of classifiable Stalking/Harassing sentences landed below the guideline range - rarer below-guideline share (≤ 44%).
- 30.1
- Avg months FY2025
- below the national average
- 287
- Federal cases
- 43%
- Within guidelines
- typical guideline adherence
- 77%
- Guilty plea
Departure profile · Stalking FY2025
44% of classifiable Stalking/Harassing outcomes landed below guidelines (rarer below-guideline share (≤ 44%)). Case-level mean OL 3.4 · mean CH 0.88 across 287 USSC rows, the departure share is the sheet signature.
The verdict
According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission FY2025 Individual Offender Datafiles, Stalking/Harassing ranks #18 of 30 by caseload (287 cases) and #14 of 30 by average sentence (30.1 months).
- #18
- Caseload of 30
- #14
- Avg sentence of 30
- 30.1 months
- This offense avg FY2025
- 287
- 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.
Stalking FY2024→FY2025: -4.6 mo
| Year | Cases | Avg (mo) | GL Min | GL Max | Within GL | Above GL | Below GL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2025 | 287 | 30.1 | 30.1 | 36.9 | 43% | 13% | 44% |
| FY2024 | 252 | 34.7 | 31.9 | 39.1 | 43% | 17% | 40% |
| FY2023 | 237 | 32.3 | 29.7 | 37.1 | 44% | 14% | 42% |
| FY2022 | 264 | 29.7 | 30.6 | 37.5 | 40% | 11% | 49% |
| FY2021 | 213 | 29.2 | 28.8 | 36.2 | 40% | 15% | 44% |
| FY2020 | 225 | 30.9 | 29.5 | 36.4 | 50% | 12% | 38% |
| FY2019 | 220 | 31.0 | 30.4 | 37.2 | 50% | 11% | 40% |
| FY2018 | 210 | 32.5 | 31.7 | 38.5 | 49% | 12% | 39% |
Stalking · hardest district slice
Among districts with ≥5 FY2025 cases, Idaho posts the longest average (96.0 mo, 1 cases , +218.9% vs national).
Where stalking/harassing 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.
30 58th percentile longer than 58% 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
Stalking/Harassing - Top District Disparities (FY2025)
District Comparison (FY2025)
Districts with ≥5 FY2025 Stalking/Harassing cases. Averages still mix case factors (history, quantity, cooperation).
| District | Cases | Avg (mo) | vs. National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho | 1 | 96.0 | +218.9% |
| Western Arkansas | 1 | 78.0 | +159.1% |
| Southern Texas | 6 | 74.0 | +145.9% |
| Utah | 3 | 60.0 | +99.3% |
| Northern Oklahoma | 4 | 60.0 | +99.3% |
| Western Oklahoma | 3 | 55.3 | +83.8% |
| Northern Texas | 8 | 52.3 | +73.7% |
| Western Texas | 6 | 52.0 | +72.8% |
| Southern Ohio | 2 | 49.5 | +64.5% |
| Nebraska | 3 | 49.3 | +63.9% |
| Eastern Missouri | 5 | 48.7 | +61.9% |
| Southern Indiana | 1 | 48.0 | +59.5% |
| Eastern Washington | 4 | 47.5 | +57.9% |
| South Dakota | 2 | 47.0 | +56.1% |
| Western Pennsylvania | 2 | 46.5 | +54.5% |
| Western Tennessee | 2 | 46.0 | +52.8% |
| Northern Illinois | 11 | 43.0 | +42.7% |
| South Carolina | 5 | 42.9 | +42.5% |
| Western Missouri | 6 | 39.7 | +31.8% |
| Alaska | 3 | 39.0 | +29.6% |
Nationwide peers · caseload or average sentence
Similar FY caseload
Nearest by ABS(287 cases).
- Bribery/Corruption · 310 cases · Fraud/Financial
- Obscenity/Other Sex Offenses · 325 cases · Sex Offenses
- Murder · 405 cases · Violent Crime
- Tax · 407 cases · Fraud/Financial
Similar average sentence
Nearest nationwide offense types by ABS(30.1 mo here; ≥50-case types).
- Fraud/Theft/Embezzlement · 29.0 mo avg · Fraud/Financial
- Burglary/Trespass · 27.4 mo avg · Other
- Bribery/Corruption · 25.6 mo avg · Fraud/Financial
- Tax · 22.4 mo avg · Fraud/Financial
Same-category peers · Violent Crime
Source: United States Sentencing Commission (USSC), Individual Offender Datafiles, FY2015–FY2025 · Methodology
What the Stalking/Harassing data shows
In FY2025, 287 federal defendants were sentenced for stalking/harassing, with an average sentence of 30.1 months -- 21.8 months below the national average across all offenses.
- 43% of stalking/harassing sentences in FY2025 fell within the guideline range, with 44% 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 stalking/harassing in FY2025 was Idaho, averaging 96.0 months -- 65.9 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. Idaho data
- The average sentence for stalking/harassing has fallen 2.4 months since FY2018 (FY2018: 32.5 mo; FY2025: 30.1 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.