Federal Environmental Offense Sentences in the District of Maine, FY2016–2025
Most of the 22 people sentenced for environmental offenses in the District of Maine received probation only: 16 of 22 (73%). Only 6 (27%) received a prison term, and the median among them was 6 months. The cases are 1% of the district's federal sentences, and 20 of them were sentenced under the fish
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Trends › Federal Prosecution Analysis › Federal Sentences in the District of Maine, FY2016–2025 › Environmental Offense: District of Maine
In brief: Most of the 22 people sentenced for environmental offenses in the District of Maine received probation only: 16 of 22 (73%). Only 6 (27%) received a prison term, and the median among them was 6 months. The cases are 1% of the district's federal sentences, and 20 of them were sentenced under the fish, wildlife, and plants guideline.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 22 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 for 16 of 22 People
The U.S. Sentencing Commission counted 22 people sentenced for environmental offenses in the District of Maine, covering fiscal years 2017 to 2025. Of those, 16 (73%) received probation only, with no prison or other confinement. The other 6 (27%) received a prison term.
Across all 94 districts, the same offense type covers 1,638 people, and 28% were sent to prison. The Maine share is close to that national share.
What Kinds of Cases Are in This Category
Environmental is one of the Commission's offense types, and it groups several kinds of conduct. In Maine, 20 of the 22 cases were sentenced primarily under §2Q2.1 (Offenses Involving Fish, Wildlife, and Plants). One case was sentenced under §2Q1.2 (Mishandling of Hazardous or Toxic Substances or Pesticides).
These cases were 1% of the 1,628 people sentenced in the district over fiscal years 2016 to 2025. A fiscal year begins on October 1 and ends the following September.
The Few Prison Terms
Among the 6 people sent to prison, the median prison term was 6 months. A quarter received 6 months or more, and a quarter received 2.2 months or less. The national median for this offense type was 5 months, and the median for all offenses in Maine was 36 months.
Supervised release after prison was ordered for 4 people (18%), with a median term of 36 months. Prison terms are the terms imposed, not time served.
Fines and Restitution
A fine was ordered for 19 of the 22 people (86%), and restitution for 6 (27%). Fines were therefore ordered in most of the 22 cases, and restitution in a smaller group.
Pleas and Guideline Range
All 22 people (100%) pleaded guilty, and none was convicted after a trial. Among the guilty pleas, 91% had a written plea agreement and 9% were straight pleas with no agreement. No mandatory minimum applied to any of the 22.
Within the guideline range were 14% of sentences (3). Another 64% (14) were below the range at the government's request, and 23% (5) were below the range without a government request. None was above the range. For all offenses in Maine, 30% of sentences were within the range, and for this offense type in all districts it was 50%.
Criminal History, Yearly Counts, and Limits
Among the 22 people, 91% were in the lowest criminal history category, category I, and 5% were in the highest, category VI. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.
Fiscal years 2016 to 2019 account for 17 people, and fiscal years 2020 to 2025 account for 5 people. Fiscal year 2018 had 13 of the 22. The table shows "n/a" where no median prison term is available for a year. The records cover only people who were convicted and sentenced, so they cannot show how many environmental cases were charged or dismissed.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 3 | 0.1 months | 3 of 3 |
| 2018 | 13 | 6 months | 100% |
| 2019 | 1 | 1 months | 1 of 1 |
| 2023 | 1 | n/a | 1 of 1 |
| 2024 | 3 | n/a | 3 of 3 |
| 2025 | 1 | n/a | 1 of 1 |
How We Counted
Everyone sentenced in federal court in the District of Maine (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Maine") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Environmental" (22). 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.
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 Maine, FY2016–2025 (overview)
- Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the District of Maine, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Firearms Sentences in the District of Maine, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the District of Maine, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Child Pornography Sentences in the District of Maine, 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.