Judicial circuitsFY2018–FY2025
Second Circuit
2d Cir. · 6 districts · Connecticut, New York, Vermont
The datafile contains cases reported to the Commission with sentencing documents. Sentence length statistics use the Commission's capped variable (sentences of 470 months or longer, including life, are recorded as 470 months) and exclude sentences of probation or a fine only. Figures are aggregates of past cases and are not a prediction for any case.
§ 1Districts compared
| District | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other | Above |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Connecticut D. Conn. | 2,525 | 90% | 36 | 29% | 26% | 43% | 2% |
| Eastern District of New York E.D.N.Y. | 4,876 | 85% | 28 | 24% | 31% | 43% | 2% |
| Northern District of New York N.D.N.Y. | 3,101 | 89% | 24 | 53% | 22% | 24% | 1% |
| Southern District of New York S.D.N.Y. | 9,222 | 95% | 34 | 22% | 21% | 56% | 1% |
| Western District of New York W.D.N.Y. | 3,285 | 90% | 42 | 41% | 36% | 19% | 5% |
| District of Vermont D. Vt. | 1,253 | 93% | 18 | 22% | 47% | 30% | 2% |
Whole period, FY2018–FY2025. Medians are of cases with a prison term.
§ 2Summary
The Second Circuit covers 6 districts (Connecticut, New York and Vermont). Its courts sentenced 24,262 cases reported to the Commission across 8 fiscal years (FY2018–FY2025), 2,795 of them in FY2025; the Southern District of New York is the busiest with 9,222.
The circuit's median prison term was 32 months (2 yr 8 mo), longer than the national 24 months, and 30% of sentences were within the guideline range (nationally 47%).
FY2025 had fewer cases than FY2018 (2,795 against 3,479). The median prison term in FY2025 (36 months) was longer than in FY2018 (30 months).
§ 3Length of prison terms
§ 4Position relative to the guideline range
Within guideline range 30%Above range 2%Below range, government sponsored 27%Below range, other 42%Not determinable 89
| Measure | 2d Cir. | All districts |
|---|---|---|
| Median prison months | 32 | 24 |
| Cases with a prison term | 91% | 92% |
| Within guideline range | 30% | 47% |
| Above range | 2% | 3% |
| Below range, government sponsored | 27% | 29% |
| Below range, other | 42% | 21% |
§ 5Offence mix
| Primary offence type | Cases | Share | Median months | Within range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drug Trafficking | 8,650 | 35.7% | 46 | 20% |
| Fraud/Theft/Embezzlement | 3,876 | 16.0% | 15 | 26% |
| Firearms | 2,590 | 10.7% | 37 | 43% |
| Immigration | 2,103 | 8.7% | 4 | 68% |
| Robbery | 1,133 | 4.7% | 60 | 21% |
| Money Launder | 907 | 3.7% | 20 | 12% |
| Child Pornography | 671 | 2.8% | 86 | 28% |
| Sex Abuse | 650 | 2.7% | 180 | 25% |
| Murder | 589 | 2.4% | 220 | 30% |
| Assault | 500 | 2.1% | 84 | 34% |
| Tax | 422 | 1.7% | 8 | 13% |
| Bribery/Corruption | 375 | 1.5% | 12 | 12% |
§ 6Trend by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other | Above |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 3,479 | 92% | 30 | 33% | 25% | 41% | 2% |
| FY2019 | 3,564 | 92% | 30 | 32% | 26% | 41% | 1% |
| FY2020 | 2,449 | 92% | 27 | 30% | 27% | 42% | 2% |
| FY2021 | 2,424 | 89% | 30 | 27% | 26% | 46% | 1% |
| FY2022 | 3,271 | 91% | 36 | 26% | 28% | 44% | 2% |
| FY2023 | 3,219 | 91% | 36 | 28% | 28% | 43% | 2% |
| FY2024 | 3,061 | 91% | 36 | 31% | 27% | 40% | 3% |
| FY2025 | 2,795 | 91% | 36 | 32% | 30% | 36% | 2% |
§ 7Questions and answers
Which districts are in the Second Circuit?
District of Connecticut, Eastern District of New York, Northern District of New York, Southern District of New York, Western District of New York and District of Vermont.
How do sentences vary across the Second Circuit?
District medians over FY2018–FY2025 range from 18 to 42 months. Offence mix explains much of it: the district pages break each one down by offence type.
How often are sentences within the guideline range in the Second Circuit?
30% over FY2018–FY2025, with 27% below the range on a government motion and 42% below it for other reasons.
§ 8Provenance
Source: United States Sentencing Commission, Individual Offender Datafiles, fiscal years 2018–2025 (US government works), aggregated by this site; the FY2025 file is dated 29 Apr 2026. Circuit is the Commission's MONCIRC code 2. Counts below 10 are hidden or pooled. Errors in this site's processing are corrected at the next build; see corrections. Methodology.