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# Federal Sentences in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, FY2016–2025
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-middle-district-of-pennsylvania/
- Published: 2026-11-03T06:11:08.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-03T06:11:08.000Z
- Description: People sent to prison in the Middle District of Pennsylvania in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 had a median prison term of 46 months (3.8 years), higher than the 24-month median for all federal districts. The district sentenced 4,067 people in that period. Its share of sentences within the guideline rang
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Federal

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

**In brief:** People sent to prison in the Middle District of Pennsylvania in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 had a median prison term of 46 months (3.8 years), higher than the 24-month median for all federal districts. The district sentenced 4,067 people in that period. Its share of sentences within the guideline range, 47%, was about the same as the national figure of 48%.

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 4,067 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/).

## Median Prison Term and the Spread of Sentences

Of the 4,067 people sentenced, 3,692 (91%) received a prison term. That matches the 91% rate for all districts. Another 283 (7%) received probation only, with no prison or other confinement.

The median term for those sent to prison was 46 months. A quarter of them received 105 months or more. A quarter received 12 months or less. The records list 17 life sentences.

Mandatory minimum prison terms applied to 1,493 people in the district. These are statutory floors that limit how low a judge can go.

## What Kinds of Cases Were Sentenced?

Drug trafficking was the largest offense type, at 1,573 people (39%), with a median prison term of 70 months. Immigration followed with 507 (12%), and its median in the table is 0 months.

Fraud, theft, or embezzlement accounted for 472 (12%) and firearms for 441 (11%). Their medians were 21 months and 60 months.

The district also sentenced 203 people (5%) for prison offenses, one of the Sentencing Commission offense categories, with a median of 12 months. Sexual abuse cases numbered 163 (4%) and had a median of 210 months, the longest in the table.

| Offense type             | People sentenced | Share of district | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ------------------------ | ---------------- | ----------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| Drug Trafficking         | 1,573            | 39%               | 70 months     | 95%            |
| Immigration              | 507              | 12%               | 0 months      | more than 99%  |
| Fraud/Theft/Embezzlement | 472              | 12%               | 21 months     | 96%            |
| Firearms                 | 441              | 11%               | 60 months     | 95%            |
| Prison Offenses          | 203              | 5%                | 12 months     | 97%            |
| Sexual Abuse             | 163              | 4%                | 210 months    | 95%            |
| Robbery                  | 115              | 3%                | 87 months     | 96%            |
| Money Laundering         | 85               | 2%                | 57 months     | 86%            |

## Sentences Measured Against the Guidelines

The guideline range is the recommended span of months under the federal Sentencing Guidelines for a given offense and criminal history. Guideline position was recorded for 4,063 people here.

In the district, 1,925 sentences (47%) were within the range. Below-range sentences at the government's request numbered 1,128 (28%). Below-range sentences without such a request numbered 953 (23%). Above-range sentences numbered 57 (1%).

The district's within-range share was about the same as the 48% across all districts. The records do not give the reasons for sentences outside the range.

## Plea Agreements, Straight Pleas, and Trials

The district had 3,874 guilty pleas (95%) and 193 convictions after trial. Nationally, the guilty plea rate was 97%.

Written plea agreements were part of 85% of the guilty pleas. Straight pleas, with no agreement, made up 13%.

After a guilty plea, the median prison term was 42 months. After a trial, it was 127.5 months, based on 192 people convicted at trial and sent to prison. The data does not adjust for differences in offense or criminal history between these groups.

## Other Parts of the Sentence

Supervised release was ordered for 3,203 people (79%), with a median term of 36 months. Supervised release for life was ordered for 10 people, less than 1%.

Fines were ordered for 750 people (18%) and restitution for 846 (21%).

On criminal history, 43% were in category I, the lowest, and 16% in category VI, the highest.

## Counts by Fiscal Year

The district sentenced 1,688 people in fiscal years 2016 to 2019 and 2,379 in fiscal years 2020 to 2025\. The yearly median was 36 months in 2018 and 60 months in 2025, the highest in the table. Fiscal year 2019 had the most people sentenced, 505.

| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| 2016        | 306              | 36.5 months   | 96%            |
| 2017        | 406              | 51 months     | 96%            |
| 2018        | 471              | 36 months     | 94%            |
| 2019        | 505              | 48 months     | 94%            |
| 2020        | 360              | 41 months     | 96%            |
| 2021        | 310              | 57 months     | 98%            |
| 2022        | 438              | 38 months     | 94%            |
| 2023        | 409              | 46 months     | 96%            |
| 2024        | 454              | 49 months     | 95%            |
| 2025        | 408              | 60 months     | 96%            |

## Where the Records Stop

These figures describe only convictions that led to a sentence. Acquittals and dismissals are outside the Sentencing Commission data. The prison terms shown are those imposed, not the time served, and the data cannot explain year-to-year changes.

### How We Counted

Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Middle District of Pennsylvania (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Penn. Mid") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 (4,067). 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.