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.

 

Interactive Data Guidelines App
Full Manual

(incorporating amendments effective November 1, 2018)

 

  • 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”.

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  • Resources
    Ask the HelpLine

    The 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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  • 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.

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  • 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....

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  • Resources
    Worksheets

    Use 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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  • Resources
    Quick Facts

    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.

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  • Resources
    Research Notes

    Research 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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2022-2023 Amendment Year

  • proposed priorities
  • final priorities
  • proposed amendments
  • final amendments

  • Event

    October, 2022

     

    A public meeting of the Commission will be 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 will be streamed live. 

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  • Press Release

    September, 2022

     

    The Commission proposes policy priorities for the amendment cycle ending May 1, 2023. 

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  • Federal Register Notice

    September, 2022

     

    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. 

     

     

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  • Press Release

    August, 2022

     

    The Commission regains a quorum for the first time in three years, enabling it to amend federal sentencing guidelines, issue sentencing policy.

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