Harshest Sentencing Districts
According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission (USSC), more than 64,000 individuals were sentenced in U.S. federal courts in fiscal year 2024 under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, with the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 establishing the modern framework. The USSC Annual Report and Sourcebook of Federal Sentencing Statistics are published every March and cover all 94 U.S. district courts. See our methodology for refresh cadence.
Federal districts with the longest average sentences · FY2024 · National avg: 57.7 months
| Rank | District | Circuit | Cases | Avg Sentence | vs. National | Disparity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Middle Tennessee Tennessee | 6th | 328 | 137.0 mo | +137.4% | +45.5% |
| #2 | Alaska Alaska | 9th | 311 | 125.2 mo | +117.0% | +11.0% |
| #3 | Northern Ohio Ohio | 6th | 352 | 120.2 mo | +108.3% | +44.0% |
| #4 | Western Kentucky Kentucky | 6th | 207 | 116.6 mo | +102.1% | +34.4% |
| #5 | Northern Illinois Illinois | 7th | 390 | 108.2 mo | +87.5% | +25.9% |
| #6 | Western Arkansas Arkansas | 8th | 437 | 106.3 mo | +84.2% | +21.3% |
| #7 | Kansas Kansas | 10th | 783 | 106.1 mo | +83.9% | +36.0% |
| #8 | Southern Florida Florida | 11th | 260 | 99.0 mo | +71.6% | +14.2% |
| #9 | Northern West Virginia West Virginia | 4th | 283 | 97.8 mo | +69.5% | +38.9% |
| #10 | Arizona Arizona | 9th | 108 | 97.8 mo | +69.5% | +14.3% |
| #11 | Eastern Wisconsin Wisconsin | 7th | 539 | 97.7 mo | +69.3% | +10.0% |
| #12 | Northern Mississippi Mississippi | 5th | 428 | 96.8 mo | +67.8% | +4.4% |
| #13 | Northern Iowa Iowa | 8th | 226 | 96.5 mo | +67.2% | +23.4% |
| #14 | Southern Illinois Illinois | 7th | 249 | 96.3 mo | +66.9% | -3.6% |
| #15 | Eastern Tennessee Tennessee | 6th | 295 | 95.5 mo | +65.5% | +14.3% |
| #16 | Northern Texas Texas | 5th | 1,221 | 94.4 mo | +63.6% | +30.3% |
| #17 | Nebraska Nebraska | 8th | 440 | 93.9 mo | +62.7% | +2.3% |
| #18 | Southern Indiana Indiana | 7th | 236 | 92.2 mo | +59.8% | +5.1% |
| #19 | Northern Indiana Indiana | 7th | 224 | 91.0 mo | +57.7% | +13.0% |
| #20 | South Dakota South Dakota | 8th | 575 | 91.0 mo | +57.7% | -23.7% |
Ranked by average sentence length in months for FY2024. Includes districts with 100+ cases. "Disparity" reflects the average percentage difference vs. the national average across offense types in that district. Source: United States Sentencing Commission.