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# Federal Sentences in the Central District of Illinois, FY2016–2025
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-central-district-of-illinois/
- Published: 2026-11-03T06:11:23.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-03T06:11:23.000Z
- Description: A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 1,217 of the 2,440 people (50%) sentenced in the Central District of Illinois in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. The median prison term there was 70 months (5.8 years), higher than the 24-month median for all 94 federal districts. Drug trafficking cases, with a
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Federal

[Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) › Central District of Illinois

**In brief:** A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 1,217 of the 2,440 people (50%) sentenced in the Central District of Illinois in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. The median prison term there was 70 months (5.8 years), higher than the 24-month median for all 94 federal districts. Drug trafficking cases, with a median of 112 months, were the largest group.

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 2,440 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. 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/).

## How Often Did a Mandatory Minimum Apply?

A mandatory minimum is a prison floor written into a statute. When one applies, the judge generally cannot sentence below it.

In this district, 1,217 people (50%) were sentenced in cases where a mandatory minimum applied. This post has no national share of mandatory minimum cases to set beside it.

## Length of Prison Terms

Prison was ordered for 2,349 of the 2,440 people (96%), compared with 91% for all districts. Only 59 (2%) received probation only.

The median prison term was 70 months (5.8 years). A quarter of those sent to prison received 120 months or more, and a quarter received 27 months or less. 9 people received a life sentence.

All of these are terms the court imposed. The records do not show time actually served.

## Drug, Firearms, and Sex Offense Cases

Drug trafficking accounted for 929 people (38%), with a median prison term of 112 months. Firearms accounted for 457 (19%) with a median of 48 months, and fraud, theft, and embezzlement for 290 (12%) with a median of 13 months.

Sex offenses make up a notable part of the district's sentencings. Child pornography (images of child exploitation) cases numbered 185 (8%), with a median of 96 months. Sexual abuse cases numbered 162 (7%), with a median of 180 months. In sexual abuse cases, 83% pleaded guilty.

Each person is counted under 1 Commission offense category, based on the main guideline used at sentencing.

| Offense type             | People sentenced | Share of district | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ------------------------ | ---------------- | ----------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| Drug Trafficking         | 929              | 38%               | 112 months    | 96%            |
| Firearms                 | 457              | 19%               | 48 months     | 95%            |
| Fraud/Theft/Embezzlement | 290              | 12%               | 13 months     | 97%            |
| Child Pornography        | 185              | 8%                | 96 months     | 98%            |
| Sexual Abuse             | 162              | 7%                | 180 months    | 83%            |
| Immigration              | 94               | 4%                | 10 months     | 99%            |
| Robbery                  | 75               | 3%                | 115 months    | 88%            |
| Money Laundering         | 34               | 1%                | 36 months     | 82%            |

## Straight Pleas Were Common

2,304 of 2,440 people (94%) pleaded guilty, below the 97% rate for all districts. 136 were convicted after a trial.

Among guilty pleas, 62% had a written plea agreement. The other 35% were straight pleas, entered with no agreement with the prosecution.

The median prison term after a guilty plea was 63 months. After a trial it was 169 months, based on 136 people. The trial group and the plea group had different charges, and the records cannot separate the effect of the trial itself.

## Guideline Range, Supervision, and Criminal History

Of 2,428 people with guideline information, 36% (864) were sentenced within the range, lower than the 48% national figure. 24% (584) were below the range at the government's request, 35% (860) were below it without one, and 5% (120) were above it.

Supervised release was ordered for 2,249 people (92%), with a median term of 36 months. 56 people (2%) received supervised release for life. Restitution was ordered for 487 (20%) and a fine for 57 (2%).

33% of those sentenced were in criminal history category I and 20% in category VI. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.

## Fiscal Year Medians

975 people were sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2019, and 1,465 in fiscal years 2020 to 2025\. These periods are not the same length.

The median prison term was 60 months in 2016, 96 months in 2023, and 60 months again in 2025\. It was 84 months in 2022 and 75 months in 2024\. The records do not explain these yearly changes.

| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| 2016        | 259              | 60 months     | 96%            |
| 2017        | 249              | 48 months     | 96%            |
| 2018        | 241              | 61.5 months   | 97%            |
| 2019        | 226              | 73.5 months   | 95%            |
| 2020        | 227              | 78 months     | 92%            |
| 2021        | 232              | 63 months     | 97%            |
| 2022        | 279              | 84 months     | 95%            |
| 2023        | 260              | 96 months     | 92%            |
| 2024        | 249              | 75 months     | 93%            |
| 2025        | 218              | 60 months     | 92%            |

## Gaps in the Record

The Commission data includes only convicted and sentenced people. It leaves out acquittals and dismissed cases, and it cannot show why the district's prison terms were longer than the national median.

### How We Counted

Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Central District of Illinois (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Illinois Cent") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 (2,440). Offense types are the Commission's OFFGUIDE categories.

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.

**Who decides the sentence, and under what rules.** Federal judges sentence every federal case. They must calculate the Sentencing Guidelines range, which is advisory, and must impose any mandatory minimum the statute requires unless an exception applies. In courts-martial, the accused could choose sentencing by members until the rules changed. For cases in which every guilty finding is for an offense committed after December 27, 2023, a military judge sentences alone, within sentencing parameters. Courts-martial tried in 2024 and later include both old-rule and new-rule cases, and the data cannot tell them apart.

**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.

**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.

## 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)
- [How Often Federal Judges Sentence Outside the Guideline Range](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-sentences-outside-guideline-range/)
- [Mandatory Minimums: How Many Federal Sentences Are Set by Congress](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-mandatory-minimum-sentences/)
- [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.