Federal Sentences in the Southern District of Florida, FY2016–2025
The U.S. Sentencing Commission counted 17,081 people sentenced in the Southern District of Florida in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Their median prison term was 32 months, compared with 24 months across all 94 federal districts. Guilty pleas made up 95% of the district's cases, a little lower than the
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In brief: The U.S. Sentencing Commission counted 17,081 people sentenced in the Southern District of Florida in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Their median prison term was 32 months, compared with 24 months across all 94 federal districts. Guilty pleas made up 95% of the district's cases, a little lower than the 97% for all districts, and 771 people were convicted after a trial.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 17,081 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.
Guilty Pleas and Trials in This District
Of the 17,081 people, 16,310 pleaded guilty. The other 771 were convicted at trial. That plea rate of 95% is lower than the 97% recorded for all federal districts combined.
Among those who pleaded guilty, 72% had a written plea agreement with the government. Another 26% entered a straight plea, meaning a plea with no agreement.
Prison terms differed by how the case ended. The median term after a guilty plea was 30 months. After a trial it was 100 months, a figure based on the 754 people convicted at trial and sent to prison.
The trial count covers convictions only. The Commission's records include only people who were convicted and sentenced, so trials that ended in acquittal and cases that were dismissed do not appear.
How Often Judges Went Below the Guideline Range
The federal sentencing guidelines produce a recommended range for each person. The Commission records whether the sentence was inside that range, below it, or above it. This information was available for 16,512 people in the district.
Sentences within the range made up 55% (9,005). Across all districts the figure was 48%, so in-range sentences were more common here.
A large group, 30% (5,014), received a sentence below the range without a request from the government. Another 13% (2,082) were sentenced below the range at the government's request. Sentences above the range were 2% (411).
Drug, Immigration, and Fraud Cases Led the Count
3 offense types led the count. Drug trafficking was first with 4,330 people (25%). Immigration followed with 4,114 (24%), and fraud, theft, and embezzlement with 3,812 (22%).
These groups received very different terms. The median prison term was 70 months for drug trafficking, 29 months for fraud, theft, and embezzlement, and 2.6 months for immigration offenses.
Firearms cases numbered 1,590 (9%), with a median of 51 months. Robbery had 638 people and the longest median among the listed types, 90 months. The table also lists 372 people sentenced for child pornography (images of child exploitation), with a median of 82 months.
| Offense type | People sentenced | Share of district | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drug Trafficking | 4,330 | 25% | 70 months | 96% |
| Immigration | 4,114 | 24% | 2.6 months | 99% |
| Fraud/Theft/Embezzlement | 3,812 | 22% | 29 months | 95% |
| Firearms | 1,590 | 9% | 51 months | 93% |
| Money Laundering | 658 | 4% | 36 months | 94% |
| Robbery | 638 | 4% | 90 months | 92% |
| Child Pornography | 372 | 2% | 82 months | 96% |
| Bribery/Corruption | 307 | 2% | 21 months | 97% |
Prison, Probation, and Supervised Release
A prison term was imposed on 16,068 people, or 94%. That share is higher than the 91% for all districts. Probation only, with no prison or other confinement, went to 559 people (3%).
The middle range of prison terms was wide. A quarter of those sent to prison received 72 months or more, and a quarter received 9 months or less. 44 people received a life sentence.
A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 5,802 people. Supervised release after prison was ordered for 15,851 (93%), with a median term of 36 months, and 176 received supervised release for life. Courts ordered restitution for 4,883 people (29%) and a fine for 551 (3%).
Changes Across the Fiscal Years
A federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30. The district sentenced 8,837 people in fiscal years 2016 to 2019 and 8,244 in fiscal years 2020 to 2025. The 2 periods cover different numbers of years.
The yearly count was lowest in fiscal year 2021, at 813 people, when the reported plea rate was more than 99%. The median prison term was 41 months in fiscal year 2022 and 28.2 months in fiscal year 2025. The records do not explain these shifts.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2,234 | 33 months | 95% |
| 2017 | 2,365 | 30 months | 95% |
| 2018 | 2,251 | 30 months | 95% |
| 2019 | 1,987 | 28 months | 96% |
| 2020 | 1,326 | 30 months | 97% |
| 2021 | 813 | 37 months | more than 99% |
| 2022 | 1,719 | 41 months | 96% |
| 2023 | 1,552 | 36 months | 94% |
| 2024 | 1,377 | 35 months | 94% |
| 2025 | 1,457 | 28.2 months | 96% |
Criminal History and the Limits of the Data
The guidelines place each person in a criminal history category, with category I the lowest and category VI the highest. In this district, 65% were in category I and 5% were in category VI. Court-martial records have no comparable field.
These records describe sentences imposed, not time actually served. They cannot show the facts of individual cases, the strength of the evidence, or why sentences in this district differ from the national figures.
How We Counted
Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Southern District of Florida (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Florida South") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 (17,081). 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)
- 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.