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# Federal Sentences in the District of Idaho, FY2016–2025
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-district-of-idaho/
- Published: 2026-11-03T06:11:32.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-03T06:11:32.000Z
- Description: The District of Idaho sentenced 3,154 people in federal court in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, and 98% of them pleaded guilty. The 75 people convicted after a trial had a longer median prison term than those who pleaded: 100 months compared with 37 months. The district's overall median prison term was
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Federal

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

**In brief:** The District of Idaho sentenced 3,154 people in federal court in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, and 98% of them pleaded guilty. The 75 people convicted after a trial had a longer median prison term than those who pleaded: 100 months compared with 37 months. The district's overall median prison term was 39 months (3.2 years), compared with 24 months across all 94 federal districts.

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 3,154 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/).

## Trial Versus Guilty Plea in Idaho

Of the 3,154 people sentenced, 3,079 (98%) pleaded guilty. That rate is higher than the 97% for all districts.

For people who pleaded guilty and went to prison, the median term was 37 months. For those convicted at trial and sent to prison, it was 100 months. The trial figure is based on 73 people.

The plea and trial groups did not face the same charges, so the gap does not show what any one person would have received after a plea or a trial. Plea agreements were in writing for 86% of guilty pleas, and 14% were straight pleas with no agreement.

## Offense Types Sentenced in the District

Drug trafficking was the most common offense type: 1,308 people (41%), with a median prison term of 68 months.

Immigration cases were second, at 534 people (17%). Their median prison term was 3 months. Firearms cases followed with 403 (13%), and fraud, theft, and embezzlement with 306 (10%).

Child pornography (images of child exploitation) accounted for 139 people (4%), with a median of 78 months. Sexual abuse cases numbered 116 (4%), with a median of 157 months.

| Offense type              | People sentenced | Share of district | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ------------------------- | ---------------- | ----------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| Drug Trafficking          | 1,308            | 41%               | 68 months     | 98%            |
| Immigration               | 534              | 17%               | 3 months      | more than 99%  |
| Firearms                  | 403              | 13%               | 30 months     | 97%            |
| Fraud/Theft/Embezzlement  | 306              | 10%               | 18 months     | 97%            |
| Child Pornography         | 139              | 4%                | 78 months     | more than 99%  |
| Sexual Abuse              | 116              | 4%                | 157 months    | 91%            |
| Assault                   | 62               | 2%                | 34.5 months   | 98%            |
| Administration of Justice | 45               | 1%                | 12 months     | 96%            |

## Prison Terms and Probation

A prison term was ordered for 2,871 people, or 91%, the same share as all districts. Probation only, with no prison or other confinement, was ordered for 217 (7%).

A quarter of those sent to prison received 78 months or more, and a quarter received 12 months or less. 3 people received a life sentence.

A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 1,037 people (33%).

## Fines, Restitution, and Supervised Release

A fine was ordered for 513 people (16%). Restitution was ordered for 455 (14%).

Supervised release after prison was ordered for 2,248 people (71%). The median term was 36 months, and 51 people (2%) received supervised release for life.

## Sentences and the Guideline Range

Of 3,153 people with guideline information, 1,284 (41%) were sentenced within the range. That share is lower than the 48% for all districts.

920 people (29%) were sentenced below the range without a government request, and 885 (28%) were below it at the government's request. 64 people (2%) were sentenced above the range.

## Criminal History and Yearly Figures

34% of those sentenced were in category I, the lowest criminal history category, and 12% were in category VI, the highest. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.

The district sentenced 1,350 people in fiscal years 2016 to 2019 and 1,804 in fiscal years 2020 to 2025\. The yearly median prison term was 30 months in 2016 and 57 months in both 2024 and 2025\. Each fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30.

| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| 2016        | 259              | 30 months     | 96%            |
| 2017        | 342              | 33 months     | 97%            |
| 2018        | 377              | 24 months     | 98%            |
| 2019        | 372              | 30 months     | 98%            |
| 2020        | 321              | 31 months     | 98%            |
| 2021        | 241              | 42 months     | 98%            |
| 2022        | 337              | 46 months     | 98%            |
| 2023        | 292              | 48 months     | 95%            |
| 2024        | 304              | 57 months     | 98%            |
| 2025        | 309              | 57 months     | more than 99%  |

## Mountain Home AFB and the Limits of These Records

Mountain Home AFB is in this district and appears in this site's court-martial data. Courts-martial are tried in military courts, not in this federal district court.

Only people who were convicted and sentenced are in the Sentencing Commission data. People acquitted at trial and cases that were dismissed are not counted, and the prison terms shown are terms imposed, not time served.

### How We Counted

Everyone sentenced in federal court in the District of Idaho (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Idaho") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 (3,154). 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.