Federal Sentences in the District of Maryland, FY2016–2025
The District of Maryland imposed 36 life sentences on the 6,044 people it sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, and murder accounted for 230 of its cases, with a median prison term of 300 months. Across all offenses, the median prison term was 48 months (4 years), compared with 24 months for all f
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In brief: The District of Maryland imposed 36 life sentences on the 6,044 people it sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, and murder accounted for 230 of its cases, with a median prison term of 300 months. Across all offenses, the median prison term was 48 months (4 years), compared with 24 months for all federal districts. Within-range sentences made up 31%, lower than the 48% national share.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 6,044 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 series, which builds on Military Moves Toward Sentencing Guidelines to Mirror the Federal System. How the numbers were built: How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built.
Murder Cases and Life Sentences
Murder is one of the offense types listed in Maryland's table, with 230 people sentenced (4%). The median prison term for murder was 300 months, the longest in the offense table. The guilty plea rate for murder was 82%, lower than for the other offense types listed.
Over the period, 36 people received a life sentence. Supervised release for life was ordered for 155 people (3%).
Sexual abuse cases, 217 people (4%), had a median of 204 months. Robbery cases, 368 people (6%), had a median of 120 months.
The Full Offense Mix
Drug trafficking was the largest offense type, with 1,846 people (31%) and a median of 60 months. Firearms followed with 1,062 people (18%) and a median of 48 months.
Fraud, theft, or embezzlement accounted for 954 (16%), with a median of 25 months. Immigration accounted for 392 (6%), with a median of 7.3 months. Extortion or racketeering accounted for 153 (3%), with a median of 30 months.
| Offense type | People sentenced | Share of district | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drug Trafficking | 1,846 | 31% | 60 months | 97% |
| Firearms | 1,062 | 18% | 48 months | 97% |
| Fraud/Theft/Embezzlement | 954 | 16% | 25 months | 94% |
| Immigration | 392 | 6% | 7.3 months | 98% |
| Robbery | 368 | 6% | 120 months | 95% |
| Murder | 230 | 4% | 300 months | 82% |
| Sexual Abuse | 217 | 4% | 204 months | 94% |
| Extortion/Racketeering | 153 | 3% | 30 months | 97% |
Prison Terms Across the District
Of the 6,044 people sentenced, 5,521 (91%) received prison, the same rate as all districts combined. Another 351 (6%) received probation only, with no prison or other confinement.
For those sent to prison, the median was 48 months. A quarter received 96 months or more, and a quarter received 20.8 months or less.
A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 1,936 people. The prison terms reported are those imposed at sentencing, not the time served.
Where Did Sentences Fall Against the Guideline Range?
The guideline range is the span of months the federal Sentencing Guidelines recommend for a given offense and criminal history. Position against the range was available for 5,852 people.
The largest group, 2,703 (46%), received a sentence below the range at the government's request. Within-range sentences numbered 1,836 (31%). Below-range sentences without a government request numbered 1,003 (17%).
Above-range sentences numbered 310 (5%). The records do not explain why any sentence fell outside the range.
Pleas, Trials, and Criminal History
Guilty pleas accounted for 5,767 people (95%), lower than the 97% rate for all districts. Trials produced 277 convictions. Of the guilty pleas, 94% had a written plea agreement and 5% were straight pleas.
The median prison term after a guilty plea was 48 months. After a trial it was 131 months, based on 264 people sent to prison. The trial group includes a different mix of offenses, and the records do not adjust for it.
Criminal history category I, the lowest, included 39% of people sentenced, and category VI, the highest, included 14%.
Supervision and Money Penalties
Supervised release after prison was ordered for 5,337 people (88%), with a median term of 36 months. Restitution was ordered for 1,510 (25%) and a fine for 246 (4%).
Yearly Counts and the Installations in Maryland
Maryland sentenced 3,076 people in fiscal years 2016 to 2019 and 2,968 in fiscal years 2020 to 2025. Fiscal year 2018 had the most people sentenced, 838. The yearly median prison term was 60 months in 2019 and 42 months in 2024.
Fort Meade and Joint Base Andrews are in this district and appear in this site's court-martial data. Courts-martial are tried in military courts, not in this federal district court, and they are not counted in these figures.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 733 | 48 months | 95% |
| 2017 | 728 | 48 months | 94% |
| 2018 | 838 | 48 months | 95% |
| 2019 | 777 | 60 months | 95% |
| 2020 | 469 | 46 months | 97% |
| 2021 | 525 | 57 months | 97% |
| 2022 | 579 | 57 months | 96% |
| 2023 | 503 | 48 months | 94% |
| 2024 | 449 | 42 months | 97% |
| 2025 | 443 | 48 months | 95% |
Limits of the Data
The Sentencing Commission data covers only people convicted and sentenced. It leaves out acquittals and dismissals. It does not describe the facts of individual cases, and it cannot show why sentences in the district were longer or shorter in a given year.
How We Counted
Everyone sentenced in federal court in the District of Maryland (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Maryland") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 (6,044). 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 (the background article)
- Federal Prosecution Analysis (all federal posts)
- How the Federal Comparison Data Was Built (sources and method)
- Drug Use: Courts-Martial at Joint Base Andrews vs. Federal Court in the District of Maryland (installation comparison)
- How Often Federal Judges Sentence Outside the Guideline Range
- Mandatory Minimums: How Many Federal Sentences Are Set by Congress
- U.S. Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles (source)
- Federal Judicial Center, Integrated Database (criminal defendants) (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. This analysis is for education and information only. It is not legal advice, and every case is different.