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.
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.
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.
Unclear about some of the terms found in the Guidelines Manual? This glossary covers everything from “Abuse of Trust” to “Zone D”.
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.
2024-2025 Amendment Cycle
Federal Register Notice
The Commission seeks comment on proposed priorities for the amendment cycle ending May 1, 2026.
Public comment should be received by the Commission on or before July 18, 2025.
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.
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.
Public Comment
The Commission received comment on proposed amendments for the amendment cycle ending May 1, 2025.
Event
A public hearing was held on Wednesday, March 12 and Thursday, March 13, 2025 to receive testimony on proposed amendments to the federal sentencing guidelines.
Video and transcript of the event are available.
Event
A public hearing was held on Wednesday, February 12 to receive testimony on proposed amendments to the federal sentencing guidelines.
This event was livestreamed. A video recording and transcript are available.
Video
Commission staff prepared data to inform public comment on a proposal relating to drug offenses under §2D1.1.
Federal Register Notice
The Commission published proposed amendments for the amendment cycle ending May 1, 2025.
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 Commission is seeking comment on these proposals through March 3, 2025 with a reply comment period closing on March 18, 2025Press Release
The Commission published another round of proposed amendments and issues for comment for the amendment cycle ending May 1, 2025.
Event
A public meeting of the Commission was held on Friday, January 24, 2025 at 1:00 p.m. (EST) pursuant to Rule 3.2 of the Rules of Practice and Procedure. A video recording and transcript are available.
Video
Commission staff prepared data to inform public comment on a proposal relating to the treatment of machinegun conversion devices under the §2K2.1 guideline.
Public Comment
The Commission received comment on possible retroactive application of certain 2025 guideline amendments.
Federal Register Notice
The Commission delivered to Congress amendments to the federal sentencing guidelines on April 30, 2025 (effective November 1, 2025). This notice sets forth these amendments, the reason for each amendment, and a request for comment.
Amendments
These documents contains official and "reader-friendly" text of final amendments to the federal sentencing guidelines, which was submitted to Congress on April 30, 2025 (effective November 1, 2025).
Press Release
Commission votes to promulgate amendments to the federal sentencing guidelines.
Event
A public meeting of the Commission was scheduled for Friday, April 11, 2025 at 1:30 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. Check back soon for a transcript.