Judicial circuitsFY2018–FY2025
Seventh Circuit
7th Cir. · 7 districts · Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Central District of Illinois C.D. Ill. | 1,932 | 97% | 72 | 35% | 23% | 37% | 5% |
| Northern District of Illinois N.D. Ill. | 4,931 | 91% | 44 | 30% | 17% | 51% | 3% |
| Southern District of Illinois S.D. Ill. | 1,993 | 91% | 72 | 55% | 20% | 19% | 6% |
| Northern District of Indiana N.D. Ind. | 2,495 | 88% | 57 | 47% | 23% | 28% | 2% |
| Southern District of Indiana S.D. Ind. | 3,452 | 96% | 70 | 44% | 22% | 31% | 3% |
| Eastern District of Wisconsin E.D. Wis. | 2,302 | 86% | 48 | 18% | 35% | 44% | 3% |
| Western District of Wisconsin W.D. Wis. | 1,162 | 93% | 60 | 31% | 16% | 50% | 3% |
Whole period, FY2018–FY2025. Medians are of cases with a prison term.
§ 2Summary
The Seventh Circuit covers 7 districts (Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin). Its courts sentenced 18,267 cases reported to the Commission across 8 fiscal years (FY2018–FY2025), 2,111 of them in FY2025; the Northern District of Illinois is the busiest with 4,931.
The circuit's median prison term was 60 months (5 years), longer than the national 24 months, and 37% of sentences were within the guideline range (nationally 47%).
FY2025 had fewer cases than FY2018 (2,111 against 2,442). The median prison term was about the same in FY2025 as in FY2018.
§ 3Length of prison terms
§ 4Position relative to the guideline range
Within guideline range 37%Above range 3%Below range, government sponsored 22%Below range, other 38%Not determinable 31
| Measure | 7th Cir. | All districts |
|---|---|---|
| Median prison months | 60 | 24 |
| Cases with a prison term | 92% | 92% |
| Within guideline range | 37% | 47% |
| Above range | 3% | 3% |
| Below range, government sponsored | 22% | 29% |
| Below range, other | 38% | 21% |
§ 5Offence mix
| Primary offence type | Cases | Share | Median months | Within range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drug Trafficking | 6,213 | 34.0% | 80 | 29% |
| Firearms | 4,304 | 23.6% | 42 | 46% |
| Fraud/Theft/Embezzlement | 2,279 | 12.5% | 24 | 35% |
| Robbery | 1,169 | 6.4% | 96 | 31% |
| Immigration | 822 | 4.5% | 10 | 67% |
| Sex Abuse | 719 | 3.9% | 192 | 31% |
| Child Pornography | 680 | 3.7% | 99 | 33% |
| Money Launder | 398 | 2.2% | 55 | 21% |
| Tax | 238 | 1.3% | 12 | 16% |
| Prison Offenses | 214 | 1.2% | 18 | 72% |
| Murder | 170 | 0.9% | 252 | 28% |
| Administration of Justice | 144 | 0.8% | 12 | 39% |
§ 6Trend by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Cases | Prison | Median months | Within range | Below, gov. | Below, other | Above |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2018 | 2,442 | 90% | 56 | 37% | 23% | 37% | 3% |
| FY2019 | 2,456 | 91% | 50 | 37% | 20% | 40% | 3% |
| FY2020 | 2,270 | 92% | 54 | 39% | 21% | 38% | 2% |
| FY2021 | 2,222 | 92% | 57 | 39% | 20% | 39% | 3% |
| FY2022 | 2,483 | 92% | 60 | 38% | 22% | 37% | 4% |
| FY2023 | 2,270 | 92% | 60 | 33% | 24% | 39% | 4% |
| FY2024 | 2,013 | 92% | 60 | 34% | 23% | 38% | 4% |
| FY2025 | 2,111 | 92% | 60 | 37% | 22% | 37% | 3% |
§ 7Questions and answers
Which districts are in the Seventh Circuit?
Central District of Illinois, Northern District of Illinois, Southern District of Illinois, Northern District of Indiana, Southern District of Indiana, Eastern District of Wisconsin and Western District of Wisconsin.
How do sentences vary across the Seventh Circuit?
District medians over FY2018–FY2025 range from 44 to 72 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 Seventh Circuit?
37% over FY2018–FY2025, with 22% below the range on a government motion and 38% 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 7. Counts below 10 are hidden or pooled. Errors in this site's processing are corrected at the next build; see corrections. Methodology.