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(September 30)   New Quick Facts are available on mandatory minimum penalties and various offense types. Quick Facts publications give readers basic facts about a single area of federal crime. 

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(September 18)  This report provides demographic and sentencing information for individuals who used hacking, cryptocurrency, and the dark web in the commission of a federal offense. 

Full Report

(September 4)  The latest preliminary quarterly data report reflects information received on individuals sentenced through the third quarter of fiscal year 2024 (October 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024).

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(September 4)   In the second episode of the Sentencing Practice Talk reboot, staff explore the website and highlight the online resources they wish they had known about when working as probation officers.

Listen Here

The Commission has two resources to assist in understanding the Residential Drug Abuse Program and the First Step Act's earned time credits system, relying on primary source documents created by other government agencies.

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Press Release

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
Bureau of Prisons Resources

These interactive resources provide an overview of certain BOP programs for policymakers and other stakeholders interested in learning how RDAP and the earned time credits system are administered.

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
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.

2024-2025 Amendment Cycle

  • Public Comment

     

     

    The Commission received comment on proposed priorities for the amendment cycle ending May 1, 2025.

  • Federal Register Notice

     

    The Commission seeks comment on proposed priorities for the amendment cycle ending May 1, 2025.
     

    Public comment should be received by the Commission on or before July 15, 2024. 

     

     

  • Press Release

     

    Embracing the public’s ideas to improve sentencing, Commission unanimously adopts policy priorities.

  • Federal Register Notice

     

    The Commission published final priorities for the amendment cycle ending May 1, 2025.
     

    Federal Register Notice

     

     

  • Event

     

    A public meeting of the Commission was held on Thursday, August 8, 2024 at 3:00 p.m. (EDT) pursuant to Rule 3.2 of the Rules of Practice and Procedure of the United States Sentencing Commission. This meeting was livestreamed.