Federal Sentences in the District of Utah, FY2016–2025
In the District of Utah, 62% of sentences in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 were below the guideline range because the government asked for a lower sentence. Only 24% were within the range, compared with 48% across all 94 federal districts. Utah sentenced 7,061 people in those years, with a median prison
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In brief: In the District of Utah, 62% of sentences in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 were below the guideline range because the government asked for a lower sentence. Only 24% were within the range, compared with 48% across all 94 federal districts. Utah sentenced 7,061 people in those years, with a median prison term of 30 months.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 7,061 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.
Government Requests for Below-Range Sentences
The guideline range is the starting point for a federal sentence. Of the 7,007 Utah sentences with guideline information, 4,328 were below the range at the government's request. That is 62%.
Sentences within the range numbered 1,699, or 24%. Judges went below the range without a government request in 835 cases (12%). Only 145 sentences (2%) were above the range.
The records count these outcomes. They do not describe what the government's requests were based on.
Nearly All Cases Ended in a Plea Agreement
Utah had 6,981 guilty pleas out of 7,061 sentences, or 99%. The all-district share was 97%. Just 80 people were convicted at trial.
Of the guilty pleas, 99% came with a written plea agreement, and 1% were straight pleas with no agreement.
The median prison term after a guilty plea was 30 months. After a trial it was 72 months, a figure based on 67 people convicted at trial and sent to prison.
Which Offenses Were Most Common?
Drug trafficking accounted for 2,072 people (29%), with a median prison term of 48 months. Immigration was next, with 1,856 people (26%), with a median of 6 months. Firearms covered 1,411 people (20%), with a median of 30 months.
Fraud, theft, and embezzlement covered 443 people (6%). Child pornography (images of child exploitation) covered 204 people (3%), with a median term of 82 months. Sexual abuse covered 201 people (3%), with a median of 96 months.
| Offense type | People sentenced | Share of district | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drug Trafficking | 2,072 | 29% | 48 months | more than 99% |
| Immigration | 1,856 | 26% | 6 months | 100% |
| Firearms | 1,411 | 20% | 30 months | more than 99% |
| Fraud/Theft/Embezzlement | 443 | 6% | 24 months | 97% |
| Child Pornography | 204 | 3% | 82 months | more than 99% |
| Sexual Abuse | 201 | 3% | 96 months | more than 99% |
| Money Laundering | 185 | 3% | 42 months | 96% |
| Robbery | 182 | 3% | 60 months | 99% |
Prison Sentences and Their Length
Prison was part of the sentence for 5,951 people (84%), lower than the 91% for all districts. Another 1,074 people (15%) were sentenced to probation only.
The median prison term of 30 months is 2.5 years. A quarter of terms were 60 months or more, and a quarter were 11 months or less. 4 people received a life sentence.
The terms shown are those imposed by judges. They are not a measure of time served.
Supervised Release and Criminal History
After prison, 5,379 people (76%) were placed on supervised release, with a median term of 36 months. Lifetime supervised release was ordered for 201 people, or 3%.
A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 1,399 people (20%). Restitution was ordered for 866 (12%), and fines for 110 (2%).
In criminal history, 31% were in category I, the lowest, and 18% were in category VI, the highest. Court-martial records do not include a criminal history field.
Yearly Counts and Medians
There were 2,784 people sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2019 and 4,277 in fiscal years 2020 to 2025. Each yearly count was between 653 and 779.
The yearly median prison term was 21 months in fiscal year 2017 and 36 months in fiscal year 2024. The records do not show why the median changed.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 684 | 24 months | 98% |
| 2017 | 734 | 21 months | 99% |
| 2018 | 692 | 24 months | 99% |
| 2019 | 674 | 30 months | more than 99% |
| 2020 | 685 | 24 months | more than 99% |
| 2021 | 658 | 30 months | more than 99% |
| 2022 | 741 | 33 months | more than 99% |
| 2023 | 761 | 33 months | 99% |
| 2024 | 653 | 36 months | 98% |
| 2025 | 779 | 30.2 months | 98% |
Hill AFB and the Limits of This Data
Hill AFB is in Utah and appears in this site's court-martial data. Courts-martial there are held in military courts, not in the federal district court, and they are not part of these numbers.
The Sentencing Commission data also leaves out acquittals and dismissals. It shows sentences for people who were convicted.
How We Counted
Everyone sentenced in federal court in the District of Utah (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Utah") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 (7,061). 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 Hill AFB vs. Federal Court in the District of Utah (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.