Federal Drug Possession Sentences in the District of Utah, FY2016–2025
Of the 57 people sentenced for drug possession in the District of Utah in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 36 (63%) received probation only and 21 (37%) received a prison term. The median prison term was 0.3 months. In all 94 districts, 68% were sent to prison and the median was 6 months.
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Trends › Federal Prosecution Analysis › Federal Sentences in the District of Utah, FY2016–2025 › Drug Possession: District of Utah
In brief: Of the 57 people sentenced for drug possession in the District of Utah in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, 36 (63%) received probation only and 21 (37%) received a prison term. The median prison term was 0.3 months. In all 94 districts, 68% were sent to prison and the median was 6 months.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 57 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.
Probation Only Was the Most Common Sentence
Probation only, with no prison or other confinement, was the sentence for 36 of the 57 people (63%). The other 21 (37%) received a prison term.
In all 94 districts, 68% of people with this offense type were sent to prison. The district's share is lower.
Among those sent to prison in the district, the median term was 0.3 months. A quarter received 6.5 months or more, and a quarter received 0 months or less. The all-district median was 6 months.
Straight Pleas Were Common
All 57 people (100%) pleaded guilty, and none was convicted after a trial. In all districts, guilty pleas were more than 99%.
Only 54% of the guilty pleas had a written plea agreement. The other 46% were straight pleas with no agreement.
A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 4 of the 33 people with that information recorded (12%).
One Guideline
"Drug Possession" is the Commission's category. In the district, 10 cases used §2D2.1 (Unlawful Possession) as the primary guideline.
The category is separate from drug trafficking, which is a much larger group in the district. For all offenses in the district, the median prison term was 30 months.
Most Sentences Were Within the Guideline Range
Of the 54 people with this information, 45 (83%) received a sentence within the range. In all districts, the share was 90%. For all offenses in the district it was 24%.
Below-range sentences at the government's request were 9% (5), and below-range sentences without a request were 2% (1). Sentences above the range were 6% (3).
Counts by Fiscal Year
Fiscal years 2016 to 2019 have 41 people, and fiscal years 2020 to 2025 have 16 people. Fiscal year 2016 has the most, with 14 people.
The yearly median ranges from 0 months in fiscal years 2017 and 2018 to 48 months in fiscal year 2025, which has 2 people. These groups are small, so the table is not evidence of a trend. The federal fiscal year runs from October 1 to September 30.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 14 | 1.7 months | 100% |
| 2017 | 12 | 0 months | 100% |
| 2018 | 12 | 0 months | 100% |
| 2019 | 3 | 6 months | 3 of 3 |
| 2020 | 5 | 8.9 months | 5 of 5 |
| 2021 | 5 | 0.1 months | 5 of 5 |
| 2023 | 3 | 6.5 months | 3 of 3 |
| 2024 | 1 | 11.1 months | 1 of 1 |
| 2025 | 2 | 48 months | 2 of 2 |
Fines, Supervised Release, and Criminal History
A fine was ordered for 23 people (40%), and restitution for 3 (5%). Supervised release after prison was ordered for 7 people (12%), with a median term of 12 months.
In criminal history, 17% were in the lowest category (Category I), and 0% were in the highest (Category VI).
Limits of These Records
Drug possession cases were less than 1% of the 7,061 people sentenced in the district. Hill AFB, Utah, is in the district, but courts-martial are tried in military courts.
The Commission counts only convicted and sentenced people. The records do not say what drug was involved or why probation was chosen in a given case.
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 whose offense type was "Drug Possession" (57). 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)
- Federal Sentences in the District of Utah, FY2016–2025 (overview)
- Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the District of Utah, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the District of Utah, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Firearms Sentences in the District of Utah, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the District of Utah, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- 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.