- 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.
Backgrounder
Categorical Approach
Primer
Categorical Approach (May 2019) The purpose of this primer is to provide a general overview of the history, major...
Loss Calculation
Primer
Loss Calculation (May 2019) This primer discusses issues often raised about economic loss and loss calculation under §...
RICO
Primer
Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (May 2019) The purpose of this primer is to provide a general overview...
Antitrust
Primer
Antitrust Offenses (May 2019) This primer is intended to provide an overview of sentencing-related criminal antitrust...
Economic Crime Victims
Primer
Economic Crime Victims (May 2019) This primer provides a general overview of selected guideline issues related to...
Sexual Abuse and Failure to Register Offenses
Primer
Sexual Abuse and Failure to Register Offenses (May 2019) The purpose of this primer is to provide a general overview of...
Commercial Sex Acts and Sexual Abuse of a Minor
Primer
Commercial Sex Acts and Sexual Abuse of a Minor (May 2019) The purpose of this primer is to provide a general overview...
Supervised Release
Primer
Supervised Release (May 2019) This primer provides a general overview of the imposition and revocation of supervised...
Retroactivity
Primer
Retroactivity (May 2019) This primer addresses some common procedural questions that have arisen in the context of...
Fines Under the Organizational Guidelines
Primer
Fines Under the Organizational Guidelines (May 2019) Chapter Eight of the Guidelines Manual sets forth the guidelines...
Immigration
Primer
(September 2017) This primer is intended to provide an overview of sentencing-related criminal immigration topics. It is not a comprehensive compilation of issues and is not a substitute for reading and interpreting the actual cases, statutes, and Guidelines Manual . Rather, it should serve as a helpful supplement to those primary sources.
Firearms
Primer
Firearms (May 2019) The purpose of this primer is to provide a general overview of the major statutes, sentencing...
Drugs
Primer
Drugs (May 2019) The purpose of this primer is to provide a general overview of the sentencing guidelines, pertinent...
Departures and Variances
Primer
Departures and Variances (May 2019) This primer contains a summary of guideline provisions and annotations to judicial...
Criminal History
Primer
Criminal History (May 2019) The purpose of this primer is to provide a general overview of the sentencing guidelines...
Aggravating and Mitigating Role Adjustments
Primer
Aggravating and Mitigating Role Adjustments (March 2019) The purpose of this primer is to provide a general overview of...
Intellectual Property
Primer
Intellectual Property Offenses (March 2019) This primer is intended to provide an overview of the sentencing guidelines...
Relevant Conduct
Primer
Relevant Conduct (March 2019) This primer addresses some common questions that have arisen in the context of relevant...
Crime Victims' Rights
Primer
Crime Victims' Rights (January 2019) This primer provides a general overview of crime victims’ rights under the Crime...
Report At A Glance: Federal Mandatory Minimum Penalties for Sex Offenses
This handout presents an overview of the Commission's 2019 report, Mandatory Minimum Penalties for Sex Offenses in...
Report At A Glance: Federal ID Theft Mandatory Minimum Penalties
This handout presents an overview of the Commission's 2018 report, Mandatory Minimum Penalties for Identity Theft...
Report At A Glance: 851 Enhancements
This handout presents an overview of the Commission's 2018 report, Application and Impact of 21 U.S.C. § 851:...
Report At A Glance: Federal Gun Mandatory Minimum Penalties
This handout presents an overview of the Commission's 2018 report, Mandatory Minimum Penalties for Firearms...
Report At A Glance: Federal Drug Mandatory Minimum Penalties
This handout presents an overview of the Commission's 2017 report, Mandatory Minimum Penalties for Drug Offenses in...
Report At A Glance: Federal Mandatory Minimum Penalties
This handout presents an overview of the Commission's 2017 report, Overview of Mandatory Minimum Penalties in the...
Report At A Glance: Recidivism and Federal Sentencing Policy
This handout presents an overview of the Commission's report, Recidivism Among Federal Offenders: A Comprehensive...
Report At A Glance: Federal Simple Drug Possession
This handout presents an overview of the Commission's report, Weighing the Charges: Simple Possession of Drugs in...
Report At A Glance: Federal Sentencing of Career Offenders
This handout presents an overview of the Commission's Report to the Congress: Career Offender Sentencing...
Frequently Asked Questions: 2011 Retroactive Crack Cocaine Guideline Amendment
This document provides answers to the most frequently asked questions about the Commission's decision to give...
Policy Profile: The Fair Sentencing Act of 2010
Sensible Sentencing Reform: The Fair Sentencing Act of 2010 This document provides background information on the impact...
Policy Profile: The 2014 Drug Amendment
Sensible Sentencing Reform: The 2014 Drug Guidelines Amendment This document provides background information on the...