Robbery and Kidnapping: Federal vs. Court-Martial Sentences, 2016–2025
Federal court sentenced 14,661 people for robbery and 1,075 for kidnapping in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, with median prison terms of 92 months and 164 months. Court-martial records show 19 kidnapping convictions from 2021 to 2025, with a median adjudged confinement of 14.9 months. The records show o
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In brief: Federal court sentenced 14,661 people for robbery and 1,075 for kidnapping in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, with median prison terms of 92 months and 164 months. Court-martial records show 19 kidnapping convictions from 2021 to 2025, with a median adjudged confinement of 14.9 months. The records show only 7 robbery convictions under Article 122, too few to compare, so robbery is reported for federal court alone.
This post uses the U.S. Sentencing Commission's records of 1,075 people sentenced in federal court in fiscal years 2016 to 2025, compared with court-martial results from this site's Military Trial Results data (updated November 2, 2026). 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.
Robbery in Federal Court
The U.S. Sentencing Commission data lists 14,661 people sentenced for robbery under guideline §2B3.1 in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. Of these, 14,490 (99%) received a prison term, and 123 received probation only.
The median prison term was 92 months, or 7.7 years. A quarter of the people received 144 months or more, and a quarter received 54 months or less. A life sentence was imposed on 18 people.
A guilty plea ended 13,877 of the cases (95%), and 784 people were convicted after a trial. The median prison term was 87 months after a guilty plea and 204 months after a trial, based on 783 people convicted at trial and sent to prison.
Federal robbery is mostly bank robbery and Hobbs Act robbery, often with a firearm count under 18 U.S.C. 924(c).
Why Robbery Has No Court-Martial Comparison
The court-martial records show 7 robbery convictions under Article 122 with trial dates from 2016 to 2025. The site compares a group only when it has at least 10 cases. Robbery falls short of that rule, so no court-martial robbery sentences are reported here.
The records cannot show how many robbery cases were charged under other articles. They show only the count under that article.
Kidnapping at Courts-Martial
The records list 19 convictions for kidnapping with trial dates from 2021 to 2025. By service, there were 10 in the Army, 2 in the Air Force, 3 in the Navy, and 4 in the Marine Corps. Kidnapping became Article 125 on January 1, 2019. Before that date it was charged under Article 134.
Of the 19 convictions, 16 (84%) included confinement. The median adjudged confinement was 14.9 months, and a quarter of the sentences were 135.6 months or more. Of the 18 enlisted members convicted, 12 received a punitive discharge (67%), with 7 dishonorable discharges and 5 bad-conduct discharges. The 1 officer convicted was dismissed.
A general court-martial heard 14 of the 19 cases (74%). A plea was recorded for all 19, and 8 (42%) were guilty pleas.
| Service | Convictions, 2016–2025 | With confinement | Median confinement | Punitive discharge (enlisted) | Guilty pleas (where recorded) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Army | 10 | 80% | 8.9 months | 70% | 30% |
| Air Force | 2 | 2 of 2 | 218.7 months | 2 of 2 | 2 of 2 |
| Navy | 3 | 3 of 3 | 5 months | 2 of 3 | 1 of 3 |
| Marine Corps | 4 | 3 of 4 | 36 months | 1 of 3 | 2 of 4 |
Federal Kidnapping Sentences
Federal court sentenced 1,075 people under guideline §2A4.1, which covers kidnapping, abduction, and unlawful restraint. Prison went to 1,068 (more than 99%), and 50 received a life sentence. The median prison term was 164 months, or 13.7 years. A quarter received 262 months or more.
Guilty pleas made up 896 of the 1,075 cases (83%). The median prison term was 144 months after a guilty plea and 365 months after a trial. A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 274 people (25%).
Sentences were within the guideline range for 33%, below it at the government's request for 39%, and below it without a government request for 24%. Above the range were 4%.
| Courts-martial, 2016–2025 | Federal court, FY2016–FY2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Convictions or people sentenced | 19 | 1,075 |
| Sentenced to confinement or prison | 84% | more than 99% |
| Median confinement or prison | 14.9 months | 164 months |
| A quarter received this or more | 135.6 months | 262 months |
| Pleaded guilty | 8 of 19 with a plea recorded (42%) | 83% |
| Mandatory minimum applied | See the caveats | 25% |
Pleas, Trials, and the Spread of Sentences
In the court-martial kidnapping group, the median confinement after a guilty plea was 5.4 months, from 8 cases with confinement. In contested cases that ended in conviction, it was 88.4 months, from another 8 cases with confinement. A contested case is one where the accused pleaded not guilty to at least one charge.
The service medians range from 5 months in the Navy to 218.7 months in the Air Force. The Air Force figure rests on 2 convictions. Court-martial sentences are as adjudged at trial, before any clemency or appeal, and federal terms are those imposed, not time served.
The federal yearly medians for kidnapping ranged from 120 months in 2019 to 228 months in 2017. The yearly numbers of people sentenced ranged from 64 to 142.
| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 73 | 179.4 months | 85% |
| 2017 | 111 | 228 months | 83% |
| 2018 | 102 | 142 months | 86% |
| 2019 | 93 | 120 months | 87% |
| 2020 | 64 | 168 months | 69% |
| 2021 | 88 | 135 months | 90% |
| 2022 | 120 | 168 months | 88% |
| 2023 | 141 | 180 months | 82% |
| 2024 | 142 | 168 months | 82% |
| 2025 | 141 | 156 months | 79% |
What the Records Cannot Show
Federal records have no rank, and court-martial records have no criminal history field. The Sentencing Commission data counts only people who were convicted and sentenced, so acquittals and dismissals are in neither source of sentences.
Federal years are fiscal years that run from October 1 to the end of September. Court-martial years follow the trial date. The kidnapping groups differ in size by a wide margin, 19 compared with 1,075, and the court-martial medians can change with one case.
The records do not show the facts behind any sentence. They also cannot show how a particular case would have been decided in the other system.
How We Counted
Courts-martial: convictions for kidnapping (Article 125 since 2019) with trial dates in 2016 to 2025 (19). Federal: everyone sentenced in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 under guideline §2A4.1 (kidnapping, abduction, unlawful restraint) (1,075), U.S. Sentencing Commission individual data files.
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
Who is in each set of numbers. The federal sentencing numbers come from the U.S. Sentencing Commission. They count only people who were convicted and sentenced in federal district court. People whose cases were dismissed or who were acquitted are not in them. The military numbers come from court-martial results, which include acquittals. To compare acquittal or dismissal rates, the federal side uses a different source: the Federal Judicial Center's case data, which counts every defendant whose case ended.
Different cases reach each system. Federal prosecutors bring a narrow set of cases. In fiscal year 2024, immigration and drug trafficking cases were 59% of everyone sentenced in federal court (36,664 of 61,678). Many crimes that the military prosecutes, such as most assaults, most sexual assaults between adults, and drug use, are usually state crimes for civilians and reach federal court only in special situations, such as on federal land or in Indian Country. A federal case and a court-martial for the same crime can involve different kinds of facts.
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.
Military confinement credit and parole. For military sentences adjudged after 2004, good conduct time is 5 days for each month of confinement, about 16%. Military prisoners can also earn up to 8 more days a month for work and programs and up to 2 days a month for special acts, with a limit of 15 days a month in total. Military prisoners can be considered for parole by their service's clemency and parole board. The military numbers in this post are the confinement adjudged at trial, not the time served.
Military sentences include punishments federal sentences do not. A court-martial sentence can include a punitive discharge (bad-conduct discharge, dishonorable discharge, or dismissal for officers), reduction in rank, and forfeiture of pay. These have no federal counterpart. A comparison of months of confinement leaves them out. A short confinement term combined with a dishonorable discharge is a heavier sentence than the months alone show.
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.
Offense categories do not line up exactly. Each comparison uses a federal offense group chosen to match the military article as closely as possible (see the crosswalk). Some matches are close; others are partial. The post says which federal guideline or statute was used and why it is not an exact match.
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)
- Kidnapping Charges: Federal Trial Acquittals vs. Contested Army Courts-Martial
- Kidnapping Charges: How Often Federal Trials and Courts-Martial End in Acquittal
- Guilty Pleas in Kidnapping Cases: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial
- Kidnapping Convictions of Junior Enlisted (E-1 to E-4): Courts-Martial Compared With Federal Court
- Kidnapping: Federal Sentences vs. Army Courts-Martial
- Are Courts-Martial More Likely to End in Acquittal Than Federal Trials?
- Guilty Pleas in Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial, Year by Year
- Child Pornography Sentences: Federal Court vs. Courts-Martial, 2016–2025
- Federal Law Has No Crime of Drug Use: How Article 112a Cases Compare
- Drug Distribution and Importation: Federal vs. Court-Martial Sentences, 2016–2025
- Sexual Abuse of an Adult: Federal Cases vs. Article 120 Courts-Martial
- Child Sexual Abuse and Enticement: Federal Cases vs. Article 120b Courts-Martial
- Theft and Fraud by Dollar Loss: Federal Sentences vs. Article 121 Courts-Martial
- Is Army Kidnapping Prosecution Rising or Falling? Article 125, 2021–2025 (court-martial data)
- Article 125 UCMJ: Kidnapping (law firm reference page)
- 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.