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# Federal Stalking and Harassment Sentences in the Northern District of Illinois, FY2016–2025
- URL: https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-stalking-harassing-sentences-northern-district-of-illinois/
- Published: 2026-11-04T11:05:29.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-04T11:05:29.000Z
- Description: In the Northern District of Illinois, 25 people were sentenced for stalking and harassing offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025. All 25 (100%) received a prison term, with a median of 30 months (2.5 years). The median across all 94 districts was 24 months, and in all districts 89% were sent to priso
- 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 Northern District of Illinois, FY20](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-northern-district-of-illinois/) › Stalking and Harassment: Northern District of Illinois

**In brief:** In the Northern District of Illinois, 25 people were sentenced for stalking and harassing offenses in fiscal years 2016 to 2025\. All 25 (100%) received a prison term, with a median of 30 months (2.5 years). The median across all 94 districts was 24 months, and in all districts 89% were sent to prison.

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 25 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/).

## Prison for Every Person in the Group

All 25 people (100%) were sent to prison, and none received probation only. In all districts, the share sent to prison was 89%.

The median prison term was 30 months (2.5 years). A quarter received 48 months or more, and a quarter received 18 months or less. The all-district median was 24 months, which is lower.

For all offenses in this district, the median was 42 months.

## Trial Convictions and Guilty Pleas

Of the 25 people, 20 (80%) pleaded guilty, and 5 were convicted after a trial. In all districts, 92% pleaded guilty. For all offenses in this district, the figure was 93%.

After a guilty plea, the median prison term was 30 months. After a trial it was 41 months, based on 5 people convicted at trial and sent to prison. The trial group is small.

Among the guilty pleas, 90% had a written plea agreement, and 10% were straight pleas.

## Sentences Compared With the Guideline Range

Within the guideline range were 11 sentences (44%). Below the range without a request from the government were 9 (36%), and below it at the government's request was 1 (4%). Above the range were 4 (16%).

In all districts, 47% of sentences for this offense type were within the range. For all offenses in this district, the share was 29%.

## Threats and Stalking Guidelines

"Stalking/Harassing" is the U.S. Sentencing Commission's offense type. The most common primary guideline was §2A6.1 (Threatening or Harassing Communications), used for 20 people.

Another 5 people were sentenced under §2A6.2 (Stalking or Domestic Violence). These cases were less than 1% of the 6,211 people sentenced in the district.

## Supervised Release and Other Penalties

All 25 people (100%) were ordered to serve supervised release after prison, with a median term of 36 months. A mandatory minimum prison term applied to 2 of the 25 (8%).

A fine was ordered for 1 person (4%), and restitution for 4 (16%). In criminal history, 44% were in the lowest category (Category I), and 12% were in the highest (Category VI).

## Counts by Fiscal Year

Fiscal years 2016 to 2019 have 4 people, and fiscal years 2020 to 2025 have 21 people. Fiscal year 2025 has the most, with 11 people and a median of 36.5 months.

The table lists only years with cases, and most have 4 people or fewer. Yearly medians range from 0 months in fiscal year 2023 to 123 months in fiscal year 2024\. These groups are too small to show a trend. The fiscal year runs from October 1 through the end of September.

| Fiscal year | People sentenced | Median prison | Pleaded guilty |
| ----------- | ---------------- | ------------- | -------------- |
| 2016        | 2                | 10.5 months   | 2 of 2         |
| 2018        | 1                | 41 months     | 0 of 1         |
| 2019        | 1                | 18 months     | 1 of 1         |
| 2021        | 3                | 30 months     | 2 of 3         |
| 2022        | 4                | 33.5 months   | 4 of 4         |
| 2023        | 1                | 0 months      | 1 of 1         |
| 2024        | 2                | 123 months    | 1 of 2         |
| 2025        | 11               | 36.5 months   | 82%            |

## Installation Note and Data Limits

Great Lakes, Illinois, is a military installation in this district. Courts-martial are tried in military courts, not in this federal court.

The Commission's data lists only people who were convicted and sentenced. Acquittals and dismissals do not appear, and no case facts are given.

### How We Counted

Everyone sentenced in federal court in the Northern District of Illinois (U.S. Sentencing Commission district label "Illinois North") in fiscal years 2016 to 2025 whose offense type was "Stalking/Harassing" (25). 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](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 Northern District of Illinois, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-district-northern-district-of-illinois/) (overview)
- [Federal Drug Trafficking Sentences in the Northern District of Illinois, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-drug-trafficking-sentences-northern-district-of-illinois/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Fraud, Theft, and Embezzlement Sentences in the Northern District of Illinois, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-fraud-theft-embezzlement-sentences-northern-district-of-illinois/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Firearms Sentences in the Northern District of Illinois, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-firearms-sentences-northern-district-of-illinois/) (same district, other offense type)
- [Federal Robbery Sentences in the Northern District of Illinois, FY2016–2025](https://www.bodiesburied.com/trends/federal-robbery-sentences-northern-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.