Interactive Tools

Federal Sentencing Tools

Three calculators built on the U.S. Sentencing Commission's published guideline framework. For education only, not legal advice.

What these tools benchmark

According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission FY2025 Individual Offender Datafiles, Immigration is #1 of 30 offense types by FY2025 caseload (25,102 cases) at average-sentence rank 27 of 30 (10.2 months) ≠ Murder #1 longest average at 298.8 months (caseload #15).

25,102
Immigration cases (#1 caseload)
298.8 months
Murder avg (#1 longest)
#27
Immigration average-sentence rank
#15
Murder caseload rank

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.

FY2025 sentence disposition behind these tools

Exclusive prison / probation / other partition of all 66,518 FY2025 district-aggregated cases. Segments sum to the FY caseload, orthogonal to the length-distribution chart below.

According to the U.S. Sentencing Commission (USSC), federal sentences are calculated from the offense level and criminal-history category on the USSG Sentencing Table. These tools reproduce that official structure so you can estimate a range and check it against the 728,223 real FY2015–FY2025 cases on this site. See our methodology for sources and definitions.

728K
Sentencing records
93
Federal districts
30
Offense types
FY2015–25
Fiscal years

Sentencing Range Estimator

Estimate the advisory federal guideline range from an offense level and criminal-history category, using the USSC Sentencing Table.

Example Offense level 26, Category I → 63–78 months

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Criminal History Calculator

Work out the federal criminal-history category (I–VI) from prior sentences and supervision status, per USSG Chapter 4, Part A.

Example One prior sentence over a year → Category II

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Sentence Length Comparer

Compare typical sentencing ranges for common offenses across the federal system and selected state jurisdictions.

Example Federal drug case ≈ 36–120 months, vs. state ranges

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Full Sentencing Table

The complete USSG Sentencing Table: guideline ranges in months for every offense level (1–43) and criminal-history category (I–VI), color-coded by zone.

Example Offense level 26, Category I → 63–78 months

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The data behind these tools: every federal sentence in FY2025

Each bar counts imposed federal prison terms in that length band; the marker is the 51.9-month national average these estimators benchmark against.

0–24: 30,512 federal sentences (50%). Below this entry. 24–48: 10,224 federal sentences (17%). Below this entry. 48–72: 6,124 federal sentences (10%). This entry sits in this band. 72–96: 3,425 federal sentences (6%). Above this entry. 96–120: 2,045 federal sentences (3%). Above this entry. 120–144: 3,256 federal sentences (5%). Above this entry. 144–168: 1,188 federal sentences (2%). Above this entry. 168–192: 1,630 federal sentences (3%). Above this entry. 192–216: 591 federal sentences (1%). Above this entry. 216–240: 373 federal sentences (1%). Above this entry. 240–264: 657 federal sentences (1%). Above this entry. 264–288: 159 federal sentences (0%). Above this entry. 288–312: 335 federal sentences (1%). Above this entry. 312–336: 117 federal sentences (0%). Above this entry. 336–360: 43 federal sentences (0%). Above this entry. 360–384: 752 federal sentences (1%). Above this entry. National average 0 384 every imposed federal sentence, bucketed by value

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

How to use these tools

These estimators reproduce the official USSG structure: the Sentencing Table and criminal-history scoring. Pair them with the real case record to see how federal sentences actually land.

  • See how real federal sentences are distributed across all 93 districts. Browse districts
  • Compare district caseload with longest-average-sentence ranks on the same FY vintage. Key statistics
  • Read how a guideline range is calculated, offense level by criminal history. Read the guide

These tools are educational reproductions of the USSG structure, not legal advice; an actual sentence depends on case-specific facts, mandatory minimums, and judicial discretion.

Each tool uses the official USSC guideline structure (the Sentencing Table and criminal-history scoring rules) and is for informational purposes only. Actual sentences depend on case-specific factors, mandatory minimums, and judicial discretion. Always consult a qualified federal defense attorney. See our methodology.

Download the federal sentencing-by-district CSV cited on this page: plainsentencing-districts.csv (CC0).