United States Sentencing Commission Studies and Research in the Year 2023

The United States Sentencing Commission has published several studies and other research about their sentencing in the year 2023. Here is a compilation of those studies.

Quick Facts on Career Offenders, FY 2021

• 95.7% of career offenders were men.
• 58.2% of career offenders were Black, 25.5% were White, 13.8% were Hispanic, and 2.5% were Other races.
• Their average age was 40 years.
• 97.9% were United States citizens.
• 43.9% would not change from CHC VI if the career offender provision had not been applied;
  -None would have been CHC I;
  -0.3% would have been CHC II;
  -9.1% would have been CHC III;
  -22.4% would have been CHC IV;
  -24.3% would have been CHC V.
• The top five districts for career offenders were:
  -Eastern District of North Carolina (56);
  -Southern District of California (48);
  -Southern District of Iowa (45);
  -Eastern District of Missouri (38);
  -Southern District of New York (37).

Recidivism And Federal Bureau Of Prisons Programs: Vocational Program Participants Released In 2010

Key Findings:

Occupational Education Programs (OEP)

• Although the recidivism rate for offenders who completed an OEP course was lower than that of offenders who did not participate in an OEP course (48.3% compared to 54.1%), the difference in their recidivism rates was not statistically significant after controlling for key offender and offense characteristics such as criminal history category, age at release, gender, and crime type.

Federal Prison Industries (FPI)

• Although the recidivism rate for offenders who participated in FPI was higher than that of offenders who did not participate in FPI (55.0% compared to 52.0%), the difference in recidivism rates was not statistically significant after controlling for key offender and offense characteristics, such as criminal history category, age at release, gender, and crime type.

Quick Facts on Section 922(g) Firearms

Of the 64,142 cases reported in FY 2022, 8,688 involved convictions under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g).[1] Section 922(g) prohibits certain persons from shipping, transporting, possessing, or receiving a firearm or ammunition while subject to a prohibition from doing so most commonly because of a prior conviction for a felony offense. Of the 8,688 individuals, 87.8% were convicted under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1) because of a prior felony conviction.

Quick Facts on Career Offenders

Of the 64,142 cases reported to the Commission in fiscal year 2022, 1,356 involved career offenders.[1] In 92.9% of such cases, career offender status increased the guideline range.