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.
Unclear about some of the terms found in the Guidelines Manual? This glossary covers everything from “Abuse of Trust” to “Zone D”.
The HelpLine assists judges, probation officers, and practitioners in understanding and applying the guidelines. You can submit your questions electronically or call us directly.
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.
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.…
Use these worksheets to help determine the applicable offense level, criminal history score, and guideline range in an individual offender’s case.
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.
Research Notes give background information on the technical details of the Commission’s data collection process and provide answers to common data analysis questions.
2022-2023 Amendment Cycle
Public Comment
The Commission received comment on proposed priorities for the amendment cycle ending May 1, 2023.
Press Release
The Commission proposed policy priorities for the amendment cycle ending May 1, 2023.
Federal Register Notice
The Commission seeks comment on proposed priorities for the amendment cycle ending May 1, 2023.
Public comment should be received by the Commission on or before October 17, 2022.
Press Release
The Commission regains a quorum for the first time in three years, enabling it to amend federal sentencing guidelines, issue sentencing policy.
Federal Register Notice
The Commission published final priorities for the amendment cycle ending May 1, 2023.
Press Release
The Commission finalized policy priorities for the amendment cycle ending May 1, 2023.
Event
A public meeting of the Commission was held on Friday, October 28, 2022 at 9:00 a.m. (ET) pursuant to Rule 3.2 of the Rules of Practice and Procedure of the United States Sentencing Commission.
The meeting was streamed live.
Public Comment
The Commission received comment on proposed amendments for the amendment cycle ending May 1, 2023.
Event
A public hearing was held on Tuesday, March 7 and Wednesday, March 8, 2023 to receive testimony on proposed amendments related to Firearms, Fake Pills and the First Step Act-Drug Offenses, Circuit Conflicts, Career Offender, and Criminal History.
A video recording and transcript of the event are available.
Event
A public hearing was held on Thursday, February 23 and Friday, February 24, 2023 to receive testimony on proposed amendments related to Compassionate Release, Sex Abuse of a Ward, and Acquitted Conduct.
A video recording and transcript of the event are available.
Federal Register Notice
The Commission published proposed amendments for the amendment cycle ending May 1, 2023.
Video
Commission staff prepared a data presentation to inform public comment on a proposed amendment related to criminal history and the Commission’s implementation of 28 U.S.C. § 994(j).
This briefing presents data on status points, offenders with zero criminal history points, and simple possession of marijuana offenses.
Press Release
The Commission published proposed amendments and issues for comment for the amendment cycle ending May 1, 2023.
Amendments
This document contains unofficial text of proposed amendments to the sentencing guidelines provided only for the convenience of the user in the preparation of public comment.
The proposed amendments and issues for comment are subject to a public comment period running through March 14, 2023.Event
A public meeting of the Commission was held on Thursday, January 12, 2023 at 1:00 p.m. (ET) pursuant to Rule 3.2 of the Rules of Practice and Procedure of the United States Sentencing Commission.
A video recording of the event is available.
Amendments
This document contains preliminary unofficial text of final amendments to the federal sentencing guidelines, which was submitted to Congress on April 27, 2023 (effective November 1, 2023).
Federal Register Notice
The Commission delivered to Congress amendments to the federal sentencing guidelines on April 27, 2023 (effective November 1, 2023). This notice sets forth these amendments and the reason for each amendment.
Amendments
This document contains an issue for comment on retroactivity regarding the Criminal History amendment to the federal sentencing guidelines, which will be submitted to Congress by May 1, 2023 (effective November 1, 2023).
Press Release
Equipped with a quorum for the first time since 2018, the bipartisan Commission voted today to promulgate amendments to the federal sentencing guidelines.
Event
A public meeting of the Commission was held on Wednesday, April 5, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. (ET) pursuant to Rule 3.2 of the Rules of Practice and Procedure of the United States Sentencing Commission.
The meeting was streamed live.