The Commission promulgates guidelines that judges consult when sentencing federal offenders. When the guidelines are amended, a subsequent
Guidelines Manual is published.
In this section, you will find the Commission’s comprehensive archive of yearly amendments and Guidelines Manuals dating back to 1987.
The Commission collects, analyzes, and disseminates a broad array of information on federal crime and sentencing practices.
In this section, you will find a comprehensive collection of research and data reports published on sentencing issues and other areas of federal crime.
The Commission establishes sentencing policies and practices for the federal courts. Each year, the Commission reviews and refines these policies in light of congressional action, decisions from courts of appeals, sentencing-related research, and input from the criminal justice community.
In this section, you can follow the Commission’s work through the amendment cycle as priorities are set, research is performed, testimony is heard, and amendments are adopted.
The Commission serves as an information resource for Congress, the executive branch, the courts, criminal justice practitioners, the academic community, and the public.
In this section, you will find materials on guideline application, background information on some of the Commission’s policy decisions, and summaries of sentencing-related case law.
Commission votes to promulgate amendments to the federal sentencing guidelines, including amendments to the immigration, compassionate release, and animal fighting guidelines.
A public hearing is scheduled for Wednesday, February 17, 2016, from 8:45 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. to receive testimony from invited witnesses on compassionate release and conditions of supervision.
A public meeting of the Commission is scheduled for Friday, January 8, 2016, at 1:00 p.m. This meeting will be streamed live. Commissioners may vote to promulgate the proposed "crime of violence" amendment to the guidelines. They may also vote to publish other proposed amendments.
Commissioners voted at a public meeting to promulgate an amendment to the guideline definition of a "crime of violence." Commissioners also voted to publish additional proposed guideline amendments. Commission seeks comment on revisions to immigration related guidelines, compassionate release, etc.
Public Comment from March 21, 2016