Homepage

The Commission has scheduled a public meeting for Thursday, December 14, 2023 at 2:00 pm (ET).  At the meeting, the Commission may vote to publish proposed amendments.  The meeting will be streamed live. 

Learn more

(December 1, 2023)   This preliminary data report reflects information received from the federal courts on individuals sentenced during fiscal year 2023 (October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023).

Learn More

(November 30, 2023)   As part of its policy priority work this year, the Commission is compiling information in support of problem-solving court program development.  Access an interactive map, table of program documents, and a timeline of Commission work at the link below. 

Explore Here

(November 14, 2023)   This report uses new analytical techniques and newly available data to determine if the demographic differences in sentencing observed in the Commission’s prior reports continued to persist during the latest five-year study period.

Full Report
Press Release

(November 15, 2023)   Explore recent federal sentencing-related Supreme Court and appellate court decisions by circuit or topic using this interactive PDF. The latest issue covers January to September 2023. 

Explore Here

Wondering what's new in the 2023 Guidelines Manual? Amendments-In-Brief offer a quick overview of the Commission’s actions in a certain area of sentencing policy and the issue that prompted the guideline amendment.

Explore by Amendment

About the Commission

The U.S. Sentencing Commission, a bipartisan, independent agency located in the judicial branch of government, was created by Congress in 1984 to reduce sentencing disparities and promote transparency and proportionality in sentencing.

The Commission collects, analyzes, and distributes a broad array of information on federal sentencing practices.  The Commission also continuously establishes and amends sentencing guidelines for the judicial branch and assists the other branches in developing effective and efficient crime policy. Learn the basics of federal sentencing.

 

Resources
Amendments In Brief

Amendments In Brief are short summaries, usually one to two pages, of the Commission’s actions in a certain area of sentencing policy and the issue that prompted the guideline amendment.

Resources
Glossary of Sentencing Terms

Unclear about some of the terms found in the Guidelines Manual? This glossary covers everything from “Abuse of Trust” to “Zone D”.

Resources
Ask the HelpLine

The HelpLine assists judges, probation officers, and practitioners in understanding and applying the guidelines. You can submit your questions electronically or call us directly.

Resources
Decision Trees

How do the guidelines apply in a case with multiple counts? How do you score criminal history convictions? Follow the decision trees to answer these questions.

Resources
Primers

Want to learn more about relevant statutes, case law and guidelines on a specific topic? Discover our primers that focus on topics ranging from drug trafficking to criminal history to supervised release.…

Resources
Worksheets

Use these worksheets to help determine the applicable offense level, criminal history score, and guideline range in an individual offender’s case.

Resources
Quick Facts

Quick Facts publications give readers basic facts about a single area of federal crime in an easy-to-read, two-page format. The Commission releases new Quick Facts periodically.

Resources
Research Notes

Research Notes give background information on the technical details of the Commission’s data collection process and provide answers to common data analysis questions. 

2023-2024 Amendment Cycle

  • Public Comment

     

     

    The Commission received comment on proposed priorities for the amendment cycle ending May 1, 2024.

  • Federal Register Notice

     

    The Commission seeks comment on proposed priorities for the amendment cycle ending May 1, 2024.
     

    Public comment should be received by the Commission on or before August 1, 2023. 

     

     

  • Event

     

    A public meeting of the Commission will be held on Thursday, December 14, 2023 at 2:00 pm (ET) pursuant to Rule 3.2 of the Rules of Practice and Procedure.

  • Web page

     

    This page provides a collection of publicly available resources on problem-solving courts, including diversion, alternatives-to-incarceration, and reentry programs. It will be updated periodically as the Commission continues its policy priority work in this area.

  • Press Release

     

    Commissioners voted at a public meeting to allow delayed retroactive application of Amendment 821 relating to criminal history. The Commission also approved new policy priorities for the amendment year ending May 1, 2024.

  • Federal Register Notice

     

    The Commission published final priorities for the amendment cycle ending May 1, 2024.
     

    Federal Register Notice

     

     

  • Event

     

    A public meeting of the Commission was held on Thursday, August 24, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. (EDT) pursuant to Rule 3.2 of the Rules of Practice and Procedure of the United States Sentencing Commission. 

     

    A video recording and transcript are available. 

  • Federal Register Notice

     

    The Commission has determined that the targeted changes to the criminal history rules made in Parts A and B, Subpart 1 of Amendment 821 should be applied retroactively.

     

    Download the Notice

  • Amendments

     

    This document contains unofficial text of the amendment to policy statement §1B1.10 (Reduction in Term of Imprisonment as a Result of Amended Guideline Range (Policy Statement)), as promulgated by the Commission. Official text will appear in a forthcoming edition of the Federal Register.

    "Reader-Friendly"
    Amendment 821 In Brief
     

  • Public Comment

     

     

    The Commission received comment on possible retroactive application of Parts A and B of the 2023 Criminal History Amendment (effective November 1, 2023).