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# Federal Drug Possession Sentences in the Middle District of Alabama, FY2016–2025
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-possession-sentences-middle-district-of-alabama/
- Published: 2026-11-04T11:14:01.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-04T11:14:01.000Z
- Description: All 16 people sentenced for federal drug possession in the Middle District of Alabama in fiscal years 2016 to 2024 pleaded guilty, and every sentence was within the guideline range. Probation only was the result for 9 people (56%), and 7 (44%) were sent to prison, with a median prison term of 3 mont
- Author: Jocelyn C. Stewart
- Tags: Understanding Trends, Federal

[Trends](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/) › [Federal Prosecution Analysis](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal/) › [Federal Sentences in the Middle District of Alabama, FY2016–](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-middle-district-of-alabama/) › Drug Possession: Middle District of Alabama

**In brief:** All 16 people sentenced for federal drug possession in the Middle District of Alabama in fiscal years 2016 to 2024 pleaded guilty, and every sentence was within the guideline range. Probation only was the result for 9 people (56%), and 7 (44%) were sent to prison, with a median prison term of 3 months.

Updated November 4, 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 16 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/).

## Every Sentence Was Within the Guideline Range

The U.S. Sentencing Commission recorded the sentence position for all 16 people. All 16 (100%) were sentenced within the guideline range. None was below the range, either at the government's request or without one, and none was above it.

Across all 94 federal districts, 90% of drug possession sentences were within the range. In this district, the share for all offenses was 47%. Drug possession sentences were therefore within the range more often than the district's cases overall.

## Probation Only Was More Common Than Prison

Of the 16 people, 9 (56%) received probation only, with no prison or other confinement. The other 7 (44%) received a prison term. The median prison term was 3 months. A quarter received 5.5 months or more, and a quarter received 2.9 months or less.

Across all districts, 68% were sent to prison, and the median prison term was 6 months. In this district the share sent to prison was lower and the median was lower. The district's median for all offenses was 46 months.

## The Offense Type and Its Guideline

"Drug Possession" is the Commission's offense type. In this district, all 16 cases had §2D2.1 (Unlawful Possession) as the primary guideline. A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 2 of the 16 people (13%).

These cases were less than 1% of the 2,037 people sentenced in the district in fiscal years 2016 to 2025.

## Pleas and Plea Agreements

All 16 people (100%) pleaded guilty, and none was convicted after a trial. All of the guilty pleas (100%) had a written plea agreement. For all offenses in this district, guilty pleas were 94%, and for drug possession across all districts they were more than 99%.

Because no one went to trial, the records have no trial sentences to set beside the plea sentences.

## Supervised Release, Fines, and Criminal History

Supervised release after prison was ordered for 7 people (44%), with a median term of 12 months. A fine was ordered for 9 people (56%), and restitution for none.

In criminal history, 69% were in the lowest category and 19% were in the highest. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.

## Yearly Counts and Limits

Fiscal years 2016 to 2019 account for 8 people, and fiscal years 2020 to 2025 account for 8 people. The yearly table lists 1 to 4 people per year, and the data ends at fiscal year 2024\. Several medians are shown as n/a because they could not be reported. Fiscal years run from October through September.

Maxwell AFB, Alabama, is in this district. Courts-martial are tried in military courts, not in this federal district court.

Only people who were convicted and sentenced are counted. Prison terms are the terms imposed, not time served, and the records cannot show why a case ended in probation rather than prison.

| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| 2016        | 2                | 7.5 months    | 2 of 2         |
| 2018        | 3                | 2.8 months    | 3 of 3         |
| 2019        | 3                | 2.3 months    | 3 of 3         |
| 2020        | 1                | n/a           | 1 of 1         |
| 2021        | 1                | 5.1 months    | 1 of 1         |
| 2022        | 4                | n/a           | 4 of 4         |
| 2023        | 1                | 6 months      | 1 of 1         |
| 2024        | 1                | 3 months      | 1 of 1         |

### How We Counted

Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Middle District of Alabama (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Alabama Mid") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Drug Possession" (16). 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)
- [Federal Sentences in the Middle District of Alabama, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-middle-district-of-alabama/) (overview)
- [Federal Firearms Sentences in the Middle District of Alabama, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-firearms-sentences-middle-district-of-alabama/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Middle District of Alabama, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-trafficking-sentences-middle-district-of-alabama/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Middle District of Alabama, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-fraud-theft-embezzlement-sentences-middle-district-of-alabama/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the Middle District of Alabama, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-immigration-sentences-middle-district-of-alabama/) (same district, other offense type)
- [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.