- The Commission promulgates guidelines that judges consult when sentencing federal offenders. When the guidelines are amended, a subsequent Guidelines Manual is published.
- In this section, you will find the Commission’s comprehensive archive of yearly amendments and Guidelines Manuals dating back to 1987.
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(April 20, 2021) Explore these resources to learn about crime victims' rights in the sentencing process and how the federal sentencing guidelines account for harm to victims.
Crime Victims' Rights Primer
Economic Crime Victims Primer
Victims' Rights and Sentencing Video -
Use the links below to access information on the 64,565 federal offenders sentenced last fiscal year.
Interactive Data Analyzer (Updated April 5, 2021 with FY20 data)
FY20 Overview (Published April 5, 2021)
FY20 Sourcebook (Published March 15, 2021) -
(April 5, 2021) Commission Chats is a podcast series designed to share the Commission's objectives and work through interviews with senior leadership and other subject matter experts. In the pilot episode, Staff Director Ken Cohen discusses our core missions, current vacancies, and recent projects.
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(March 3, 2021) This report provides information on offenders sentenced under the Armed Career Criminal Act, including an overview of the Act and its implementation in the federal sentencing guidelines. The report also presents data on offender and offense characteristics, criminal histories, and recidivism of armed career criminals.
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(February 25, 2021) Explore the Winter 2021 edition of ESP's Insider Express digital newsletter for the latest from the Commission.
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(February 25, 2021) Get a basic overview of the key findings from the Commission's multiyear study of recidivism among federal offenders.
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.
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Resources
Upcoming Training EventsVirtual Sentencing Guidelines training is now open to a national audience! Sessions are available on a first come, first served basis to all members of the court family.
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Ask the HelpLineThe HelpLine assists judges, probation officers, and practitioners in understanding and applying the guidelines. You can submit your questions electronically or call us directly.
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Quick FactsQuick 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.
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Research NotesResearch Notes give background information on the technical details of the Commission’s data collection process and provide answers to common data analysis questions.
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Decision TreesHow 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.
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PrimersWant 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....
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WorksheetsUse these worksheets to help determine the applicable offense level, criminal history score, and guideline range in an individual offender’s case.
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Glossary of Sentencing TermsUnclear about some of the terms found in the Guidelines Manual? This glossary covers everything from “Abuse of Trust” to “Zone D”.