Federal Prison Offense Sentences in the Western District of New York, FY2016–2025
11 people were sentenced for prison offenses in the Western District of New York in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. 10 of them (91%) received a prison term, and the median prison term was 14.5 months. In all 94 federal districts, the median for this offense type was 10 months.
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In brief: 11 people were sentenced for prison offenses in the Western District of New York in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. 10 of them (91%) received a prison term, and the median prison term was 14.5 months. In all 94 federal districts, the median for this offense type was 10 months.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 11 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.
Escape Was the Main Charge
The U.S. Sentencing Commission's "Prison Offenses" type covers crimes tied to confinement itself. In this district, 10 of the 11 people were sentenced under §2P1.1 (Escape, Instigating or Assisting Escape). The other person was sentenced under §2P1.2 (Providing or Possessing Contraband in Prison).
These cases were less than 1% of the 4,205 people sentenced in the district in fiscal years 2016 to 2025.
Length of Prison Terms
The median prison term among the 10 people sent to prison was 14.5 months. A quarter received 20.2 months or more, and a quarter received 12 months or less. The median across all 94 districts was 10 months, so this district's median was higher.
The median for all offenses in the district was 41 months. 1 person (9%) received probation only. Prison terms are the terms imposed, not time served.
Criminal History
None of the people (0%) were in the lowest criminal history category, and 36% were in the highest, category VI.
Court-martial records have no criminal history field, so this cannot be compared with military cases.
Within the Guideline Range More Often
7 of the 11 sentences (64%) were within the guideline range. 1 (9%) was below the range at the government's request, 2 (18%) were below it without a request, and 1 (9%) was above it.
Across all 94 districts, 63% of sentences for this offense type were within the range, about the same as here. For all offenses in this district, 42% were within the range.
One Trial
10 of the 11 people (91%) pleaded guilty, and 1 was convicted after a trial. The median prison term after a guilty plea was 14 months. The person convicted at trial received 60 months.
One trial conviction cannot show how trials compare with pleas. All of the guilty pleas (100%) had a written plea agreement. No mandatory minimum prison term applied to anyone (0%).
Supervised Release and Yearly Counts
10 people (91%) were ordered to serve supervised release after prison, with a median term of 36 months. No fine or restitution was ordered for anyone (0%).
Fiscal years 2016 to 2019 had 6 people, and fiscal years 2020 to 2025 had 5 people. The table shows 1 or 2 people in each year it lists. The fiscal year 2019 row shows 0 of 1 pleading guilty, which is the one trial case. These counts are too small to show a trend.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 2 | 13 months | 2 of 2 |
| 2017 | 2 | 19.5 months | 2 of 2 |
| 2018 | 1 | 9 months | 1 of 1 |
| 2019 | 1 | 60 months | 0 of 1 |
| 2022 | 2 | 18 months | 2 of 2 |
| 2023 | 1 | 12 months | 1 of 1 |
| 2024 | 1 | n/a | 1 of 1 |
| 2025 | 1 | 8 months | 1 of 1 |
What the Records Cannot Show
The data counts only people who were convicted and sentenced. Acquittals and dismissals are not in it. The records do not describe the circumstances of any escape or the facility involved.
How We Counted
Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Western District of New York (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "New York West") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Prison Offenses" (11). 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 Western District of New York, FY2016–2025 (overview)
- Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Western District of New York, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Western District of New York, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Firearms Sentences in the Western District of New York, FY2016–2025 (same district, other offense type)
- Federal Immigration Offense Sentences in the Western District of New York, 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.