Federal Kidnapping Sentences in the District of Montana, FY2016–2025
The District of Montana sentenced 10 people for kidnapping in fiscal years 2017 to 2023, and 7 of them (70%) received a term below the guideline range at the government's request. The median prison term was 56.5 months (4.7 years), compared with 155 months in all 94 districts.
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Trends › Federal Prosecution Analysis › Federal Sentences in the District of Montana, FY2016–2025 › Kidnapping: District of Montana
In brief: The District of Montana sentenced 10 people for kidnapping in fiscal years 2017 to 2023, and 7 of them (70%) received a term below the guideline range at the government's request. The median prison term was 56.5 months (4.7 years), compared with 155 months in all 94 districts.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 10 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.
Below-Range Sentences at the Government's Request
Of the 10 sentences, 7 (70%) were below the guideline range at the government's request. Another 1 (10%) was below it without that request, and 2 (20%) were within the range. None was above the range.
In all districts, 33% of kidnapping sentences were within the range, which is the same share as for all Montana offenses.
Shorter Terms Than the National Median
All 10 people received a prison term, and none received probation only. The median prison term was 56.5 months. A quarter received 130 months or more, and a quarter received 46 months or less. One person received a life sentence.
In all 94 districts, 1,124 people were sentenced for kidnapping, more than 99% were sent to prison, and the median was 155 months. The Montana median is lower. It is higher than the 40 months median for all offenses in Montana.
Mandatory Minimums Were Common
A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 8 of the 10 people, which is 80%. The Commission's offense type is "Kidnapping," and all 10 cases used the primary guideline §2A4.1 (Kidnapping, Abduction, Unlawful Restraint).
The group was less than 1% of the 3,524 people sentenced in the district in fiscal years 2016 to 2025.
Pleas and the Single Trial
A total of 9 people (90%) pleaded guilty, and 1 was convicted after a trial. In all districts, 84% pleaded guilty. The median prison term was 55 months after a guilty plea and 470 months after the trial, which rests on 1 person.
Of the 9 guilty pleas, 9 had a written plea agreement, and 0 were straight pleas.
Supervised Release and Criminal History
Supervised release was ordered for all 10 people (100%), with a median term of 60 months. One person (10%) received supervised release for life. No fine was ordered, and restitution was ordered for 1 person (10%).
In criminal history category I, the lowest, 80% of the group were placed, and 0% were in category VI, the highest. Court-martial records have no criminal history field.
The Yearly Table
Fiscal years 2016 to 2019 account for 2 people, and fiscal years 2020 to 2025 account for 8 people. The table has rows for 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2023 only. A total of 7 of the 10 people were sentenced in 2023, with a median of 49 months, and the other rows each describe 1 person. These counts do not show a trend.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 | 312 months | 1 of 1 |
| 2018 | 1 | 115 months | 1 of 1 |
| 2021 | 1 | 135 months | 1 of 1 |
| 2023 | 7 | 49 months | 6 of 7 |
What the Records Cannot Show
Malmstrom AFB, Montana, is in the district, but courts-martial are tried in military courts and are not counted here.
Only people who were convicted and sentenced appear, and prison terms are imposed terms, not served. The records do not describe any case.
How We Counted
Everyone sentenced in federal court in the District of Montana (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Montana") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Kidnapping" (10). 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 Montana, FY2016–2025 (overview)
- Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the District of Montana, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Firearms Sentences in the District of Montana, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the District of Montana, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Assault Sentences in the District of Montana, 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.