> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bodiesburied.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Federal Crack Cocaine Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2019 - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-crack-cocaine-trafficking-sentences-fy2019/ - Published: 2026-11-03T06:12:01.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-03T06:12:01.000Z - Description: A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 833 of the 1,506 people sentenced for federal crack cocaine trafficking in fiscal year 2019 (55%). Across all drugs under guideline §2D1.1 that year, the rate was 69%. The median prison term for crack cocaine was 60 months (5 years), the same as the all-dru - Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart - Tags: Understanding Trends, Federal [Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) › [Drug Distribution and Importation](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-distribution-importation-vs-article-112a/) › Crack Cocaine: FY2019 **In brief:** A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 833 of the 1,506 people sentenced for federal crack cocaine trafficking in fiscal year 2019 (55%). Across all drugs under guideline §2D1.1 that year, the rate was 69%. The median prison term for crack cocaine was 60 months (5 years), the same as the all-drug median. Updated November 3, 2026 · Sources: U.S. Sentencing Commission and Federal Judicial Center, fiscal years 2016–2025 This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 1,506 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal year 2019\. Acquittals and dismissals come from a second source, the Federal Judicial Center's records of 753,808 federal defendants whose cases ended in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. It is part of the [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) series, which builds on [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/). How the numbers were built: [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/). ## Mandatory Minimums in Crack Cocaine Cases A mandatory minimum is the lowest prison term a statute allows for an offense, usually tied to the drug amount. In fiscal year 2019, it applied to 833 people in the crack cocaine group, or 55%. Drug trafficking cases as a whole met a mandatory minimum more often. Of the 19,463 people sentenced under §2D1.1 in fiscal year 2019, every drug included, 69% had one apply. For fiscal years 2016 to 2025 combined, the crack cocaine rate was 48%. The single-year figure for 2019 is higher than that. ## Median and Range of Prison Terms Of the 1,506 people, 1,477 (98%) went to prison and 19 (1%) received probation only, with no prison or other confinement. The median prison term was 60 months. The all-drug median for fiscal year 2019 was also 60 months. Among crack cocaine sentences, a quarter were 110 months or more and a quarter were 36 months or less. Life sentences were recorded for 2 people. ## How Cases Were Resolved Guilty pleas accounted for 1,440 people (96%). Trials ended in conviction for 66. After a guilty plea, the median prison term was 60 months. After a trial, it was 180 months. The trial figure is based on the 66 people convicted at trial and sent to prison. These groups were not matched on the facts of their cases, so the difference cannot be read as the cost of a trial. Written plea agreements were part of 89% of the guilty pleas. Straight pleas, with no agreement, made up 11%. ## Sentences Measured Against the Guidelines Guideline range information was recorded for 1,505 people. Of these, 606 (40%) received a sentence within the range. Below-range sentences without a government request covered 470 people (31%). Below-range sentences at the government's request covered 384 (26%). Above-range sentences covered 45 (3%). ## Supervision and Financial Penalties Supervised release after prison was ordered for 1,474 people (98%). Its median length was 48 months. In 1 case (less than 1%), the person received supervised release for life. A fine was ordered for 55 people (4%), and restitution for 17 (1%). ## Prior Records In the federal system, criminal history category I is the lowest and category VI is the highest. For fiscal year 2019 crack cocaine sentences, 18% fell in category I and 26% in category VI. Courts-martial keep no criminal history field. ## Reading the Numbers Carefully The U.S. Sentencing Commission counts people who were convicted and sentenced. Acquittals and dismissals are outside its data. Fiscal year 2019 ran from October 1, 2018, to September 30, 2019\. The drug shown is the primary drug type the Commission recorded. No crack cocaine figure exists for courts-martial, because military records do not record drug type in a countable way. The yearly table shows the federal crack cocaine counts and medians from 2016 to 2025. | Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty | | ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- | | 2016 | 1,544 | 63 months | 97% | | 2017 | 1,543 | 61 months | 97% | | 2018 | 1,350 | 68 months | 96% | | 2019 | 1,506 | 60 months | 96% | | 2020 | 1,168 | 60 months | 97% | | 2021 | 1,049 | 60 months | 98% | | 2022 | 1,086 | 60 months | 97% | | 2023 | 855 | 50.5 months | 99% | | 2024 | 673 | 60 months | 98% | | 2025 | 463 | 60 months | 98% | ### How We Counted People sentenced in fiscal year 2019 whose primary guideline was §2D1.1 and whose primary drug type was crack (1,506), U.S. Sentencing Commission. Federal fiscal years run from October 1 to September 30\. No person, judge, or lawyer is identified in any of these records. ### What to Keep in Mind **No parole in federal prison; credit for good conduct.** Federal prison has no parole for crimes committed on or after November 1, 1987\. A federal prisoner can earn up to 54 days of good conduct credit for each year of the sentence the judge imposed, which is about 15%. Some federal prisoners can also earn First Step Act time credits, but many offenses make a person ineligible. The numbers in this post are the sentences judges imposed, not the time people actually served. **Federal supervised release.** Most federal prison sentences are followed by a term of supervised release that the judge sets as part of the sentence. A person who violates it can be sent back to prison. A court-martial cannot sentence anyone to supervision after release. Military parole and mandatory supervised release are decided later by a board, not by the judge at trial. **Mandatory minimum sentences.** Many federal statutes on drugs, images of child exploitation, child sex abuse, and firearms carry mandatory minimum prison terms. The UCMJ has mandatory minimums only for a few offenses (a dishonorable discharge or dismissal for rape and sexual assault, and life for premeditated murder). Federal sentences for these offenses are partly set by Congress, not by the judge. **Time periods.** Federal numbers are by federal fiscal year (October 1 to September 30), based on the sentencing date. The military numbers are by trial date. Neither source has the date of the offense, so a change in law shows up in either data set gradually. **How life sentences and "time served" are counted.** In the federal numbers, a life sentence is counted as 470 months, and any other sentence longer than 470 months is counted as just under 470 months. A sentence of "time served" is counted as one day (0.03 months). Averages are affected by these rules; medians much less. ## Related Analysis - [Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/military-sentencing-guidelines-federal-system/) (the background article) - [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) (all federal posts) - [How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-data-methodology/) (sources and method) - [Drug Distribution and Importation: Federal vs. Court-Martial Sentences, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-distribution-importation-vs-article-112a/) (overview) - [Federal Crack Cocaine Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2018](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-crack-cocaine-trafficking-sentences-fy2018/) (previous or next year) - [Federal Crack Cocaine Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2020](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-crack-cocaine-trafficking-sentences-fy2020/) (previous or next year) - [Federal Methamphetamine Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2019](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-methamphetamine-trafficking-sentences-fy2019/) (same year, other drug) - [Federal Powder Cocaine Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2019](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-powder-cocaine-trafficking-sentences-fy2019/) (same year, other drug) - [Federal Heroin Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2019](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-heroin-trafficking-sentences-fy2019/) (same year, other drug) - [Federal Marijuana Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2019](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-marijuana-trafficking-sentences-fy2019/) (same year, other drug) - [Federal Other Drug Trafficking Sentences, Fiscal Year 2019](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-other-drug-trafficking-sentences-fy2019/) (same year, other drug) - [Drug Distribution Sentences Since the 2023 Military Sentencing Reform: What the Data Shows So Far](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-distribution-2023-sentencing-reform-so-far/) - [Drug Distribution Charges: How Often Federal Trials and Courts-Martial End in Acquittal](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-distribution-acquittal-rate-vs-courts-martial/) - [§2D1.1 Unlawful Manufacturing, Importing, Exporting, or Trafficking (Including Possession with Intent to Commit These Offenses): Federal Sentences, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-guideline-2d1-1-unlawful-manufacturing-importing-exporting-or-trafficking-including/) (court-martial data) - [Army Article 112a Cases by the Numbers, 2021–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/army-article-112a-trend-2021-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Are Air Force Drug Courts-Martial Disappearing? Article 112a, 2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/air-force-article-112a-trend-2016-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Is Navy-Marine Corps Drug Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 112a, 2017–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/navy-marine-corps-article-112a-trend-2017-2025/) (court-martial data) - [Article 112a (Wrongful Use, Possession of Controlled Substances): Court-Martial Data and Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/article-112a-courts-martial/) (court-martial data) - [Article 112a UCMJ Drug Offenses and Positive Urinalysis](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/ucmj/article-112a-drug-offenses/?ref=bodiesburied.com) (law firm reference page) - [U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles](https://www.ussc.gov/research/datafiles/commission-datafiles?ref=bodiesburied.com) (source) - [Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (criminal defendants)](https://www.fjc.gov/research/idb?ref=bodiesburied.com) (source) **About the author.** Jocelyn C. Stewart is a retired Army JAG with more than 24 years of trying courts-martial and more than 200 jury trials. She hosts *Where All The Bodies Are Buried* and runs the [Law Office of Jocelyn C. Stewart](https://www.ucmj-defender.com/?ref=bodiesburied.com). This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.