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# Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Southern District of Indiana, FY2016–2025
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-trafficking-sentences-southern-district-of-indiana/
- Published: 2026-11-04T11:05:37.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-04T11:05:37.000Z
- Description: 90% of the 1,557 people sentenced for drug trafficking in the Southern District of Indiana in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 had a mandatory minimum prison term apply. The median prison term was 120 months (10 years), compared with 60 months for all 94 federal districts. 99% of people received a prison t
- 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 Southern District of Indiana, FY201](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-southern-district-of-indiana/) › Drug Trafficking: Southern District of Indiana

**In brief:** 90% of the 1,557 people sentenced for drug trafficking in the Southern District of Indiana in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 had a mandatory minimum prison term apply. The median prison term was 120 months (10 years), compared with 60 months for all 94 federal districts. 99% of people received a prison term.

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 1,557 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/).

## Mandatory Minimums Applied in Most Cases

A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 1,401 of the 1,557 people (90%). A mandatory minimum is a term set by statute, and it limits how low a sentence can go.

The records do not show which statute or drug quantity set the minimum in each case. They also do not show how many people received relief from a minimum.

## Prison Terms

1,539 of the 1,557 people (99%) received a prison term, and 12 (less than 1%) received probation only. For all 94 districts, 96% were sent to prison.

The median prison term was 120 months. A quarter received 168 months or more, and a quarter received 60 months or less. 6 people received a life sentence. For all offenses in this district, the median was 70 months.

The yearly table shows a median of 120 months in most fiscal years from 2018 on, with 87 months in fiscal year 2021\. Fiscal year 2016 had a median of 79 months.

| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| 2016        | 118              | 79 months     | 95%            |
| 2017        | 146              | 99 months     | 99%            |
| 2018        | 135              | 120 months    | 96%            |
| 2019        | 143              | 120 months    | 99%            |
| 2020        | 227              | 120 months    | 95%            |
| 2021        | 145              | 87 months     | 97%            |
| 2022        | 174              | 120 months    | 96%            |
| 2023        | 161              | 120 months    | 95%            |
| 2024        | 163              | 120 months    | 95%            |
| 2025        | 145              | 120 months    | 100%           |

## Drug Trafficking in the District's Caseload

These cases were 37% of the 4,205 people sentenced in this district. 542 people were sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2019, and 1,015 in fiscal years 2020 to 2025.

Nearly all had §2D1.1 (Unlawful Manufacturing, Importing, Exporting, or Trafficking (Including Possession with Intent to Commit These Offenses)) as the primary guideline, with 1,551 people. Others had §2D1.8 (Renting or Managing a Drug Establishment), with 3, and §2D1.2 (Drug Offenses Occurring Near Protected Locations or Involving Underage or Pregnant Individuals), with 2.

## Guideline Range

36% of sentences (562 people) were within the advisory guideline range. 32% (493 people) were below it at the government's request, and 30% (469 people) were below it without a government request. 2% (33 people) were above the range.

The within-range share was 32% for drug trafficking in all 94 districts and 43% for all offenses in this district.

## Guilty Pleas and Trials

1,503 of 1,557 people (97%) pleaded guilty, and 54 were convicted after a trial. For all 94 districts, 98% pleaded guilty.

The median prison term was 120 months after a guilty plea and 288 months after a trial. Among those who pleaded guilty, 90% had a written plea agreement and 10% were straight pleas with no agreement. The records do not show what accounts for the gap between plea and trial terms.

## Supervision, Fines, and Criminal History

1,524 people (98%) were ordered to serve supervised release after prison, with a median term of 60 months. A fine was ordered for 811 people (52%), and restitution for 14 (less than 1%).

30% were in the lowest criminal history category, category I, and 19% were in the highest, category VI. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.

## What the Records Cannot Show

The data counts only people who were convicted and sentenced. Acquittals and dismissals are not in it. Prison terms are those imposed, not time served. The records do not list the type or quantity of drugs.

### How We Counted

Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Southern District of Indiana (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Indiana South") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Drug Trafficking" (1,557). 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 Southern District of Indiana, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-southern-district-of-indiana/) (overview)
- [Federal Firearms Sentences in the Southern District of Indiana, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-firearms-sentences-southern-district-of-indiana/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Southern District of Indiana, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-fraud-theft-embezzlement-sentences-southern-district-of-indiana/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Robbery Sentences in the Southern District of Indiana, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-robbery-sentences-southern-district-of-indiana/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Child Pornography Sentences in the Southern District of Indiana, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-child-pornography-sentences-southern-district-of-indiana/) (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.