Federal Prison Offense Sentences in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, FY2016–2025
The Eastern District of Wisconsin sentenced 14 people for prison offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. 11 (79%) received a prison term, with a median of 5.7 months, compared with 10 months across all 94 federal districts. 13 of the 14 were sentenced in fiscal years 2020 to 2025.
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Trends › Federal Prosecution Analysis › Federal Sentences in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, FY20 › Prison Offense: Eastern District of Wisconsin
In brief: The Eastern District of Wisconsin sentenced 14 people for prison offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. 11 (79%) received a prison term, with a median of 5.7 months, compared with 10 months across all 94 federal districts. 13 of the 14 were sentenced in fiscal years 2020 to 2025.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 14 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.
A Small Group, Mostly From Recent Years
"Prison Offenses" is the U.S. Sentencing Commission's offense type for crimes covering escape and contraband in prison. In this district, only 1 person was sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2019, and 13 were sentenced in fiscal years 2020 to 2025.
The yearly table lists only 4 years, with counts of 1, 3, 1, and 9. The last year shown, 2025, has 9 of the 14 people. The records do not show why. Groups this small are not a trend.
The table's medians are 13 months for 2017, 4 months for 2022, and 4.9 months for 2025. The 2024 median is shown as "n/a" because the table has no figure for that single person. The medians come from 1 to 9 people each, so they cannot be compared with one another in any firm way.
These cases were less than 1% of the 2,907 people sentenced in the district.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 1 | 13 months | 1 of 1 |
| 2022 | 3 | 4 months | 3 of 3 |
| 2024 | 1 | n/a | 1 of 1 |
| 2025 | 9 | 4.9 months | 9 of 9 |
Which Offenses Were Involved
The most common primary guideline was §2P1.1 (Escape, Instigating or Assisting Escape), with 8 people. Next were §2P1.2 (Providing or Possessing Contraband in Prison) with 5 and §2X3.1 (Accessory After the Fact) with 1.
Prison Terms Were Short
Of the 14 people, 11 (79%) received a prison term, and 2 (14%) received probation only, with no prison or other confinement. Across all districts, 96% were sent to prison.
The median prison term was 5.7 months. A quarter received 6 months or more, and a quarter received 3 months or less. The all-districts median was 10 months, and the median for all offenses in this district was 48 months.
Prison terms are the terms imposed, not time served.
Guideline Range and Mandatory Minimums
Sentences within the guideline range were 43% (6 people). Below the range at the government's request were 29% (4), and below the range without a government request were also 29% (4). None were above the range.
In all districts together, 63% of sentences in this offense type were within the range. The district's figure for all offenses was 17%. No mandatory minimum applied to any of the 14 people (0%).
Pleas, Supervision, and Criminal History
All 14 people (100%) pleaded guilty, and all guilty pleas had a written plea agreement. Supervised release was ordered for 7 people (50%), with a median term of 12 months. A fine was ordered for 1 person (7%), and restitution for none (0%).
In the federal data, 21% of these people were in category I, the lowest criminal history category, and 21% were in category VI, the highest. Court-martial records have no criminal history field. The data counts only people who were convicted and sentenced.
How We Counted
Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Eastern District of Wisconsin (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Wisconsin East") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Prison Offenses" (14). 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 Eastern District of Wisconsin, FY2016–2025 (overview)
- Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Firearms Sentences in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Robbery Sentences in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, 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.