> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.bodiesburied.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Federal Prison Offense Sentences in the Southern District of Illinois, FY2016–2025 - URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-prison-offenses-sentences-southern-district-of-illinois/ - Published: 2026-11-04T11:16:03.000Z - Updated: 2026-11-04T11:16:03.000Z - Description: 66 people were sentenced for prison offenses in the Southern District of Illinois in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. The median prison term was 17 months, higher than the 10 months for this offense type in all 94 federal districts together. 85% of the sentences were within the guideline range, and 32% of - 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 Illinois, FY20](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-southern-district-of-illinois/) › Prison Offense: Southern District of Illinois **In brief:** 66 people were sentenced for prison offenses in the Southern District of Illinois in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. The median prison term was 17 months, higher than the 10 months for this offense type in all 94 federal districts together. 85% of the sentences were within the guideline range, and 32% of the people were in the highest criminal history category. 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 66 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/). ## Criminal History Sets This Group Apart Only 5% of the people were in the lowest criminal history category, category I. 32% were in the highest, category VI. The Commission's category called "Prison Offenses" covers crimes such as possessing contraband in prison and escape. Court-martial records have no criminal history field, so there is no military comparison for this measure. ## Prison Terms 64 of the 66 people (97%) received a prison term. None received probation only. The median prison term was 17 months. A quarter received 24 months or more, and a quarter received 9 months or less. For all offenses in the district, the median was 71 months. The Commission records the terms imposed, not time served. | Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty | | ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- | | 2016 | 9 | 9 months | 9 of 9 | | 2017 | 13 | 15 months | 100% | | 2018 | 6 | 18 months | 6 of 6 | | 2019 | 6 | 12 months | 6 of 6 | | 2020 | 4 | 18 months | 4 of 4 | | 2021 | 8 | 15.5 months | 7 of 8 | | 2022 | 1 | 27 months | 1 of 1 | | 2023 | 1 | 36 months | 1 of 1 | | 2024 | 8 | 22 months | 7 of 8 | | 2025 | 10 | 24 months | 100% | ## Guideline Range and Mandatory Minimums 56 of the 66 sentences (85%) were within the guideline range. 5 (8%) were below it at the government's request, and 3 (5%) were below it without that request. 2 (3%) were above it. In all districts, 63% of sentences in this offense type were within the range. For all offenses in this district, the figure was 55%. A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 0 of the 65 people with that information recorded. ## Pleas and Trials 64 people (97%) pleaded guilty, and 2 were convicted after a trial. The median prison term was 17 months after a guilty plea and 13 months after a trial, based on 2 people. 39% of the guilty pleas had a written plea agreement, and 59% were straight pleas. The data covers only people who were convicted and sentenced. ## Guidelines, Supervised Release, and Fines The most common primary guideline was §2P1.2 (Providing or Possessing Contraband in Prison), with 43 people. §2P1.1 (Escape, Instigating or Assisting Escape) applied to 21\. These cases were 3% of the 2,576 people sentenced in the district. 30 people (45%) were ordered to serve supervised release after prison, with a median term of 24 months. A fine was ordered for 36 (55%), and restitution for none. ## Years and Limits Fiscal years 2016 to 2019 account for 34 people, and fiscal years 2020 to 2025 account for 32\. Fiscal years 2022 and 2023 each have only 1 person, so their medians say little. Fiscal year 2017 has the most people in the table, 13, with a median of 15 months. Fiscal year 2025 has 10 people and a median of 24 months. The records do not show where the offense took place or what the contraband was. Scott AFB, Illinois, appears in this site's court-martial data, but courts-martial are tried in military courts, not in this federal district court. ### How We Counted Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Southern District of Illinois (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Illinois South") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Prison Offenses" (66). 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](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 Illinois, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-southern-district-of-illinois/) (overview) - [Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Southern District of Illinois, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-trafficking-sentences-southern-district-of-illinois/) (same district, other offense type) - [Federal Firearms Sentences in the Southern District of Illinois, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-firearms-sentences-southern-district-of-illinois/) (same district, other offense type) - [Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Southern District of Illinois, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-fraud-theft-embezzlement-sentences-southern-district-of-illinois/) (same district, other offense type) - [Federal Sexual Abuse Sentences in the Southern District of Illinois, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-sexual-abuse-sentences-southern-district-of-illinois/) (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.